MTV’s The Challenge and several of its cast members from the past and present are paying tribute to the late Diem Brown on the seventh anniversary of her passing.
Diem rose to reality TV fame as a lovable cast member who joined The Challenge Fresh Meat season in 2006. She appeared in seven more seasons, but tragic news arrived with her final appearance.
The two-time finalist passed away in November 2014 after numerous battles with cancer. Each year, many of her former Challenge castmates remember the bright and courageous spirit that Diem was.
MTV’s The Challenge shares Diem Brown tribute video
With November 14, 2021, marking the seventh anniversary of Diem Brown’s death, MTV’s The Challenge shared a special video in tribute to her on their Instagram page.
The video features Diem Brown as medical are bringing her on a gurney towards a plane at the Panama City Airport. The footage also includes Diem delivering an emotional Challenge confessional interview about how she’s at a point in her life where she wants “to just live life.”
“I want the white picket fence dream. I want to get married. I want to have kids. And I think for the longest time, I’m not gonna lie. I was a runaway bride. I’ve been the girl that’s terrified of commitment. But I’m realizing that no matter how organized your ducks are, life can turn on you in two seconds. So you can’t keep on waiting because if you keep on waiting, it’s gone,” she shared her confessional.
Diem appeared in eight seasons of MTV’s The Challenge, beginning with Fresh Meat. She reached the final in The Gauntlet III and Battle of the Exes seasons, then appeared on two more seasons after that, with the Battle of the Exes II season her final appearance.
“Always in our hearts. ❤️ Seven years ago today, we lost Diem, a strong and empathetic Challenger who gave it her all both on and off-screen. #DiemStrong,” @challengemtv’s IG caption said.
The IG post had almost 41,000 Likes as of this report, and over 940 comments, including several from Challenge stars who knew her and even those who never met her.
“Miss her everyday,” wrote Aneesa Ferreira, who appeared in multiple seasons of The Challenge with her.
That prompted several replies from Aneesa’s recent castmate Hughie Maughan who indicated Aneesa told him all about Diem while filming Season 37.
Katie Cooley, currently appearing on The Challenge: All Stars 2, left two heart emojis in memory of her late castmate. Katie and Diem appeared in three seasons of MTV’s show together.
“RIP,” Paulie Calafiore commented along with a heart emoji on The Challenge’s Twitter video post.
The Challenge stars share tributes in memory of Diem
Several of The Challenge stars who appeared in seasons of the show with Diem and met her also shared tributes.
That included Aneesa Ferreira, who appeared in four of the same seasons with Diem. Those were The Duel, The Duel II, Battle of the Exes, and Rivals II.
“My sweet sweet Diem…. I can’t believe how much time has passed since your departure. I miss you constantly and will always cherish the moments we shared and the memories we made. I love you ‘babygirl’ keep dancing in the sky,” Aneesa wrote in her IG post caption.
Jessica McCain appeared on MTV’s The Real World: Portland before doing four seasons of The Challenge. Her rookie season, Rivals II, included Diem among the cast members.
Jess also shared a photo of herself alongside her former castmate. A second photo shows Jess with Johnny Bananas, Cara Maria Sorbello, and Diem.
“7 years ago sweet @diemsmedgift you were my first @challengemtv Friend and sister. You shared so much with me and took me under your wing. We danced so crazily this night and I’ll always remember how selfless, strong, bright and loving you were! From crazy midnight swims to our girl talks, I miss you D. Love your sunshine ☀️ #DiemForever #DiemStrong,” Jessica said in her caption.
As mentioned, Diem’s final season of The Challenge was Battle of the Exes II, where she teamed up with CT Tamburello, whom she had dated for over a year and a half after they met on The Duel. Diem had to leave the season due to becoming seriously ill, as she was airlifted to a New York hospital for treatment. She passed away November 14, 2014, with ovarian cancer her reported cause of death.
MTV aired Battle of the Exes II in dedication to the late Diem Brown, as well as cast member Ryan Knight who also passed away in November 2014. Viewers can watch this season, the 26th of The Challenge, on the Paramount Plus streaming platform.
The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.