‘The Challenge’: Tori Deal Responds to Rumors That She Forms Alliances Over Vacations
The Challenge champ Ashley Mitchell claimed Tori Deal planned a “big vacation” before season 37 to ensure she had allies. However, the veteran clapped back in a recent Instagram Story clip, insisting she had nothing to do with orchestrating the trip.
Ashley Mitchell claimed Tori Deal plans ‘big vacations’ to form alliances
During the Oct. 13 episode of The Challenge 37, the competitors went from competing in pairs to three teams of six. Tori Deal, Devin Walker, Big Brother allies Josh Martinez and Kaycee Clark, her former teammate rookie Emanuel Neagu, and new love veteran Nany González teamed up on the Emerald Cell.
While the episode made it seem like the group was already allies that successfully teamed up, two-time champ Ashley Mitchell claimed that wasn’t the case.
Following the episode, she appeared on the Oct. 14 episode of Death, Taxes, and Bananas. She said they weren’t the “big happy family” that it seemed, insisting she heard Tori wasn’t an ally from the beginning. “I think Tori and Devin were more than happy to get on that platform to make sure they were secure with that Big Brother group.”
Ashley also claimed Tori “planned that big vacation” she, Devin, and Josh took before the season, insisting she wanted to “make sure her friends were in an alliance so she’d be extra safe. I mean, in my opinion.”
Tori responded to the rumors in Instagram Story video
A week after the podcast episode aired, Tori addressed the comments in a short clip she uploaded to her Instagram Story.
According to the veteran, she attempted to talk about the situation during a recent episode of MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast, which she hosts alongside Aneesa Ferreira.
However, she claims her rebuttal was “cut” from the episode. Tori insisted she didn’t plan the trip and claimed Aneesa put it together for them.
Because the longtime veteran opted to film the first season of spinoff The Challenge: All Stars, she apparently couldn’t participate in the trip. Tori ended by claiming she “got lucky” to attend and repeated she didn’t put anything together.
Fessy Shafaat previously claimed Tori paid for their Turks and Caicos vacation
Shortly after The Challenge 36 completed filming in Oct. 2020, fans spotted Tori on vacation in Turks and Caicos with two-time finalist Fessy Shafaat.
The two didn’t acknowledge the trip until a few months later and insisted “nothing happened” during the vacation. Additionally, they insisted they were only friends. During season 37, Fessy hit it off with veteran Amanda Garcia, and they vacationed in Mexico following filming.
Addressing people who felt Fessy had a pattern of taking women on trips after seasons, the two-time finalist set the record straight on his Turks and Caicos getaway during an Instagram Live with Amanda. He explained they were allies during the season but didn’t flirt much due to her then-engagement to three-time winner Jordan Wiseley.
When she became single, he said they wanted to see if their connection would last in the real world. Therefore, Fessy insisted Tori “flew me out” by paying for his plane ticket to join her in Turks and Caicos. The Challenge 37: Spies, Lies, and Allies airs Wednesdays at 8/7 Central on MTV.
