‘The Challenge’: 20 Players Have Gotten Kicked off for Breaking the Rules
While drama is seemingly encouraged in MTV’s The Challenge, fighting and bullying aren’t. Since its inception in 1998, 20 players have gotten kicked off the long-running competition series for breaking the rules, with only one contestant removed from multiple seasons.
Ayanna Mackins
The Road Rules star debuted in season 4’s Extreme Challenge (2001). Around episode 6, she physically assaulted Christian Breivik off-camera after he made an offensive joke to castmate Laterrian Wallace. Even though he didn’t want her to leave, producers removed her from the house, making her the first contestant disqualified for breaking the rules. She returned for two more seasons and recently returned to the franchise for spinoff All Stars.
Tina Barta
The two-time finalist was quickly removed from season 13’s The Duel (2006) after punching Beth Stolarczyk in the face. She never returned to the flagship series afterward but has competed in All Stars.
CT Tamburello
After making the finals in back-to-back appearances, CT Tamburello was disqualified from season 14’s The Inferno 3 (2007) before the game started due to a physical altercation with Davis Mallory. Following another finals appearance in The Gauntlet 3, CT returned for The Duel 2, where he was removed for a fight with Adam King. The Real World star is the only player pulled from the show more than once for breaking the rules. He has since competed in 13 more seasons, winning five times.
Tonya Cooley
During season 18’s The Ruins (2009), Tonya Cooley was removed from the house for slapping Veronica Portillo. It has since become her last appearance on the MTV franchise.
Brad Fiorenza and Darrell Taylor
Also in The Ruins, Darrell Taylor punched Brad Fiorenza in the face multiple times. Due to Brad drunkenly instigating the fight, both were removed from the house. They have since competed in several seasons of the flagship show as well as All Stars.
Brandon Nelson
The rookie, drafted to Katelynn Cusanelli’s team for Fresh Meat 2 (2010), consumed alcohol before an elimination, leading to their disqualification. He went on to compete in four more seasons before seemingly leaving the franchise and never made a finals appearance.
Adam Royer
The Real World alum teamed up with former housemate Leroy Garrett for Rivals (2011) but got removed before the first elimination for punching Ty Ruff during a drunken argument. Adam Royer never competed in another season.
Vinny Foti
Shortly after Battle of the Exes (2012) began, Vinny Foti exposed castmate Mandi Moyer in a club by pulling off her dress, disqualifying him. He hasn’t returned for another season yet.
Nia Moore
After arriving at the location for the finals in Battle of the Exes 2 (2015), producers removed Nia Moore from the house for verbally and physically assaulting Jordan Wiseley. It was assumed that she was banned from The Challenge due to the incident, but she was tapped to compete alongside Jordan for season 38’s Ride or Dies before a medical disqualification.
Tony Raines and Camila Nakagawa
Teammates Tony Raines and Camila Nakagawa got disqualified from Rivals 3 (2016) following a drunken fight that almost turned physical. They both have continued to compete in future seasons, but alum Jemmye Carroll says MTV has since banned Camila.
Nelson Thomas
In 2017, Nelson Thomas was removed from Dirty 30 before the finals due to an altercation with Derrick Kosinski. He has since competed in several seasons and become a face of the series.
Kailah Casillas and Melissa Reeves
By the end of season 32’s Final Reckoning (2018) premiere, Kailah Casillas and Melissa Reeves were disqualified after getting into a physical fight. They returned for future seasons and reunited in Total Madness, where they didn’t reignite their drama.
Cory Wharton
The Real World alum was also removed from Final Reckoning when he slammed Tony Raines to the ground over a plate of pasta. Cory Wharton returned three more times, making it to the finals twice.
Turbo Çamkıran
After winning War of the Worlds, two-time Survivor Turkey champ Turbo Çamkıran returned for War of the Worlds 2 (2019), where he got disqualified after getting into several close altercations with Jordan Wiseley.
Lauren Coogan
The Love Island star made her debut in Spies, Lies, and Allies but was quietly removed by the producers in episode 2. It’s rumored that she made insensitive remarks to veteran Aneesa Ferreira during a cast party.
Fessy Shafaat
Following back-to-back finals appearances, Fessy Shafaat got removed from season 37’s Spies, Lies, and Allies (2021) after a fight with ally Josh Martinez.
Ashley Mitchell
Two-time champ Ashley Mitchell was disqualified from Spies, Lies, and Allies following an off-camera altercation with Josh Martinez.
