‘The Challenge’: Laurel Stucky Says Michele Fitzgerald ‘Manipulates’ People With Tears
Throughout The Challenge 38, Michele Fitzgerald has cried a lot. However, Laurel Stucky doesn’t believe the waterworks as she thinks the Survivor champ uses her tears to manipulate the other players.
Laurel Stucky thinks co-star Michele Fitzgerald ‘manipulates’ people with tears
The Challenge champ Laurel Stucky and rookie teammate Jakk Maddox were sent into elimination twice by one of his closest friends in the house Jay Starrett and his partner Michele Fitzgerald, ultimately resulting in their early exit from season 38.
Following her elimination, Laurel appeared on the seven-time champ and Ride or Dies co-star Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio’s podcast to discuss her short-lived but memorable imprint on the season. Bananas pointed out that Jay and Michele threw Laurel into elimination because they thought she made several pacts with different teams.
However, the veteran called it “gaslight-y” as she claimed the Survivor stars are the ones who made numerous deals. Laurel didn’t appreciate the excuses given and would have preferred Michele tell them they were getting thrown in because they hadn’t made any promises to protect each other.
Instead, Laurel feels Michele lies because she can’t “own” her moves. The veteran claimed she thought Michele was a nice girl before considering her “conniving” and someone who manipulates others using tears.
Michele and Laurel have admitted they didn’t gel well in the house
While it seemed as though Michele didn’t have a reason not to like Laurel, the Free Agents champ admitted she didn’t have the best perception of her.
Speaking to Johnny Bananas, Laurel explained they initially got along fine, but the veteran saw Michele “corner” Fessy Shafaat.
When she and Fessy later talked about the situation, Laurel recalled him telling her that Michele asked him to be in a showmance with her. It rubbed the veteran wrong because she felt the Survivor star didn’t have genuine intentions.
Laurel admitted Michele might have picked up on that energy, causing her to think the two weren’t on the same page. During the November 10 episode of MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast, Michele explained she and Laurel never meshed, making her believe the two weren’t going to work together in the house.
Laurel was eliminated by episode 7 of ‘The Challenge: Ride or Dies’
Laurel and Jakk found themselves in the first elimination when rookies Johnny Middlebrooks and Ravyn Rochelle won the daily mission and made it clear they were targeting the veterans.
Fortunately, newcomers Kim Tränka and Colleen Schneider pulled the “safe” dagger and chose to protect them, sending Devin Walker and Tori Deal into the Zone. The duo remained safe until episode 5, when Michele and Jay came into power.
Even though Jay and Jakk were good friends, he listened to his partner Michele who thought Laurel was targeting her and threw them straight into elimination. The pair returned to the house wanting revenge but did not win the daily mission. Instead, Jay and Michele pulled out another win. They quickly nominated Laurel and Jakk again but sent Aneesa Ferreira and Jordan Wiseley directly into elimination as their conversation in the deliberation got heated, leaving Michele in tears.
Nany González and Johnny Bananas pulled the safe dagger and protected her girlfriend Kaycee Clark and her brother Kenny, sending Laurel and Jakk into back-to-back Zones. They couldn’t defeat their friends and were sent home by episode 7. The Challenge 38: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays on MTV.
