‘The Challenge’ Cuts Ties With Dee Nguyen Following ‘Offensive’ Comments About Black Lives Matter
The show must go on, but The Challenge is distancing itself from star Dee Nguyen following an “insensitive” tweet and Instagram comment she wrote about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. On Monday, June 8, the MTV show revealed it “severed ties” with the competitor, who appears on its current Total Madness season, in a statement shared on Twitter.
“As a result of Dee Nguyen’s offensive comments on the Black Lives Matter movement, we have severed ties with her,” the show shared. “Out of respect for our Challengers, we’ll air our season as planned. We strongly condemn systemic racism and stand with those raising their voices against injustice.”
As a result of Dee Nguyen’s offensive comments on the Black Lives Matter movement, we have severed ties with her. Out of respect for our Challengers, we’ll air our season as planned. We strongly condemn systemic racism and stand with those raising their voices against injustice.
— challengemtv (@ChallengeMTV) June 9, 2020
The decision was made in response to comments Dee, 27, shared on social media. After an Instagram commenter called her out for not being more vocal in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, she responded, “People die every f–king day. [You] don’t know me or what I do. I suggest [you] wake the f–k up and get off social media.” When she continued to get pushback from commenters, she wrote in a now-deleted tweet, “IDK why some of [you] think I’m anti BLM. I’ve been saying that since the day I lost my virginity.”
Her fellow Total Madness star, Bayleigh Dayton, was quick to call her out. “This is not how you support BLM,” she wrote in all caps. “I’m disgusted and disappointed. This is not a trend. This is life or death for us. Posting for clout about the death of black people? Shame on you.”
Unfortunately, Dee didn’t appreciate the tweet. “I know that [you’re] angry, and I see it. I see you and those around me every [f–king] day. Get off Twitter and FT me like a real ass bitch I know you are,” she responded. “News flash, Bayleigh, I don’t owe [you] s–t. I’m not [your] ‘best’ friend. I don’t text [you] daily, and I don’t call [you] daily. What did I say when we FT? Call me if [you] wanna discuss something, and we can work it out as women.”
Soon enough, Bayleigh’s husband and Challenge costar Christopher “Swaggy C” Williams also got involved. Accusing Dee of “acting like a villain on social media” and starting drama “for clout,” he called her the “fakest person on the cast by far.” At the end of his Twitter thread, he summed his position up simply: “I usually give someone three chances before I black. That was Dee’s seventh chance.”
Eventually, the Geordie Shore alum apologized, both to her followers and to Bayleigh and Swaggy specifically. “I am sorry for the insensitive tweet I posted earlier. I was being defensive and not speaking from my heart. But there’s no excuse. I also want to extend an apology to Bayleigh and Swaggy — who are my castmates and deserve my respect and compassion,” she wrote. “BLM to me every day. I’m trying to do the best I can with what is currently accessible to me. … I’m off social media for a few days and will only be posting on IG from now on. Stay safe.”
Following the news she was ousted from the franchise, she issued another apology. “The last 24 [hours] have made me realize what is important, and that is forgiveness,” she wrote in a statement shared on Instagram and Twitter. “I would like to offer my sincerest apology to my colleagues to whom I have hurt directly and indirectly due to my insensitive remarks. Let me be clear. I am a POC that cares about BLM. I believe in this movement, and I’m stepping away from social media to focus on my wellbeing and mental health. This is not a goodbye, it’s [an] I will see you again.”
For more information, visit BlackLivesMatter.com.
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