‘The Challenge’ Season 38: ‘Messy’ Fessy Shafaat Is Back in ‘Ride or Dies’ — How Will His Personal Choices Affect His New Partner Moriah Jadea?
The Challenge Season 38 has the theme of Ride or Dies. And, it marks the first time in the show’s history that fan-favorite cast members have been allowed to choose their partners to compete for the $1 million prize. As a result, there will be some brand new competitors that aren’t just rookies on The Challenge — but on reality TV in general.
‘Messy’ Fessy Shafaat is back in ‘The Challenge’ Season 38
The Ride or Dies cast is filled with popular Challenge athletes like Johnny Bananas, Laurel Stuckey, Tori Deal, Nany Gonzalez, and Jordan Wiseley. Big Brother alum “Messy” Fessy Shafaat is also returning to compete, and he is one of the vets who brought a partner who has never appeared on reality TV.
Her name is Moriah Jadea. And ahead of her rookie Challenge season, she’s already spoken about the potential online bullying that will come her way. She says that she “can’t imagine” what fans might say about her when the season begins airing.
Negative attention is something that Fessy thought about ahead of season 38, according to his recent Instagram Story Q&A. He explained that he decided not to bring his sister to compete on Ride or Dies to avoid the possible negative effects on her.
How will Fessy’s personal choices affect his new partner?
Ride or Dies will mark Fessy’s fourth season of The Challenge, after previously competing in Total Madness, Double Agents, and Spies, Lies & Allies. He made it to the final in his first two seasons, but didn’t win. And in his third, Fessy was DQ’d after getting into a fight with his friend, Josh Martinez.
There’s a reason he earned the nickname “Messy” Fessy, and it has resulted in critical and sometimes hateful comments from fans. Could his personal choices affect his new partner when it comes to online bullying? Or, in the game itself? After all, being a friend of Fessy’s didn’t work out for Josh or for Fessy’s Double Agents partner Kaycee Clark.
After filming the season, Moriah tweeted that she was preparing herself for the mental challenges that will likely come when her episodes air.
“Tbh seeing how fans bully people from the show I’m like damn I can’t imagine what u guys are going to say about me from a small portion of a clip u see or mistakes I’ve made. This just confirms to me to stay true to yourself because people will love u one day and hate you u next,” Moriah wrote.
Will MTV give the duo a villain edit in ‘The Challenge’ Season 38?
A fan responded to Moriah’s tweet by bringing up the power of post-production when it comes to The Challenge. Producers and editors tend to edit a cast member as either a hero or a villain. And with such a polarizing character like Fessy as her partner, Moriah could be facing a villain edit. Which will likely result in increased online hate.
In her reply, Moriah told the fan that she knew what she signed up for ahead of time. And, no matter what kind of edit they give her in Ride or Dies, social media will allow her and the rest of the cast to “speak our truth.”
The Challenge: Ride or Dies premieres Wednesday, October 12 on MTV.
