The recent episode of MTV’s The Challenge: Ride or Dies brought the drama, as individuals felt betrayed and blindsided by their castmates’ elimination decisions.
In particular, Laurel Stucky and her teammate Jakk Maddox found themselves among the four teams that daily challenge winners Jay Starrett and Michele Fitzgerald sent into elimination.
Jakk felt betrayed due to his emerging friendship with Jay, which was spotlighted early in Ride or Dies Episode 5.
Meanwhile, Laurel and Michele had an intense talk after interrogations, as Michele tried to understand where she stood with Laurel.
Laurel suggested it would’ve been better for Michele to approach her about that before choosing them for an elimination team.
She also told Michele that she seemed to be creating ideas in her head where she felt Laurel was out to get her in the game when it wasn’t the case.
Following the Ride or Dies episode’s airing on MTV, Laurel reacted to a former castmate tweeting about what was shown involving Laurel and Michele.
Laurel reacts to castmate’s tweet about Ride or Dies
Taking to her Twitter on Friday, Laurel responded to a tweet from former castmate Jemmye Carroll. The two last appeared together in MTV’s The Challenge: Free Agents, which was Season 25, and Laurel’s winning season.
“I love the way @laurelstucky speaks & how she reads the girlies to flith..,” Jem tweeted about the Ride or Dies episode.
“Still no explanation as to the reasoning behind the decision and then trying to manipulate me with tears. That sure was interesting,” Laurel tweeted.
Earlier in the season, viewers saw a teary-eyed Michele on the other side of the interrogation table after winning the team of Johnny Bananas and Nany Gonzalez chose them as one of their four. Michele seemingly felt betrayed and hurt as she suggested she and Nany had a strong friendship outside the game.
However, Michele’s Ride or Dies teammate Jay felt it was possibly some great acting on Michele’s part.
In Episode 5, several of the teams Jay and Michele chose for elimination wondered why they hadn’t chosen Bananas and Nany as one of their teams for The Zone.
Many castmates and fans feel it was a fumble on Jay and Michele’s part. They ultimately decided to put Laurel and Jakk into the elimination at The Zone due to the lack of communication they felt they had with them beforehand.
Laurel and her rookie teammate Jakk then won the puzzle board elimination against the rookie duo of Kim Tranka and Colleen Schneider. That means Laurel will return to The Challenge house, probably with revenge on her mind after the interesting move.
Bananas wanted Laurel as Ride or Dies partner
In another tweet, Laurel commented about a video featuring Challenge blogger Allan Aguire praising her abilities as a competitor in MTV’s series.
That video included rumors that Johnny Bananas wanted his teammate for Ride or Dies to be Emily Schromm or Laurel. However, Laurel wanted to try to win the show with a real friend in her life, Jakk, rather than a multi-time champion.
“Many many thanks,” Laurel said in her tweet, reacting to Allan’s praise for her athletic abilities and competitive skills.
It’s no surprise that Bananas would want the best competitors as his teammate to try to win. Bananas ended up arriving to the show with Nany Gonzalez, who is a multi-time finalist, but not a champion and not nearly the competitor that Laurel has shown herself to be over her seasons on The Challenge.
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.