In recent episodes of The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies, the veteran alliance had to start sending their own members into elimination after mostly working together to eliminate the rookies.
That brought forth a heated discussion in one deliberation involving Ashley Mitchell, Cory Wharton, and Nelson Thomas, due to Cory and Ashley trying to keep themselves from getting voted in.
The war of words involved Cory and Nelson referring to the two-time champion as a “snake” even though Ashley hadn’t done anything to justify that during the season.
Ashley revealed why she thinks Cory and Nelson have issues with her during a recent chat with fellow Challenge champion Johnny Bananas.
Season 37, Episode 9 had vets arguing at deliberation
In The Challenge Season 37, Episode 9 deliberation for elimination voting, Ashley and Cory were both trying to make cases for why they shouldn’t be the ones voted into elimination.
For Ashley, it became a situation where she had to defend herself from accusations made by Cory and Nelson that she was a snake for backstabbing others. There were even some random comments from Nelson about Ashley sending her best friend Amanda Garcia a $500 gift card after winning a million dollars on Final Reckoning.
Ashley later tweeted to clear up that misconception. She also brought Cory to silence during deliberation when she asked him to name anyone who she’s backstabbed.
She mentioned the only person who really could say that was their friend Hunter Barfield. Ashley and Hunter won Final Reckoning together, and then Ashley chose to keep all the prize money for herself.
However, even that wasn’t so much backstabbing, as it was Ashley taking advantage of a twist when they won to gain justice for how he’d treated her all season.
Ultimately, Ashley was able to stay out of The Lair in Episode 9, as there was a more substantial reason for Cory to get sent in due to the perception that he was working with several rookies. However, it still rubbed Ashley and her fans the wrong way that her castmates would accuse her of being a “snake.”
The Challenge’s Ashley comments on the ‘snake’ label
This past week, Johnny Bananas brought Spies, Lies & Allies star Ashley Mitchell onto his Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast as a guest to discuss the recent episodes of the season.
One topic that came up was how castmates Cory and Nelson got into it with her in the Episode 9 deliberation. Bananas asked Ashley why she thinks she gets labeled a “snake” when she hasn’t ever backstabbed anyone. Meanwhile, Kyle Christie has backstabbed both Cory and Nelson yet isn’t labeled that way.
Ashley said she thinks it comes down to “insecurity or jealousy” due to them not getting to the same place she has on the show.
“It’s kind of controversial, but I think it’s true. I saw a meme, and it really made me think of them the other day, and that might be corny to say. It’s like a lot of times people that you’ve known for a while don’t root for you as much as strangers, and that’s because they’re stuck at the same place that you were and you’ve moved on,” she told Bananas.
“So I’ve got the championship twice, and they never have,” she said, adding, “Even though they started at the same time as me, they’ve you know, worked in the same alliances as me, and they’ve never got the W.”
Ashley went on to say that Cory and Nelson have backstabbed one another more than she’s ever backstabbed either of them, so she believes it’s about some “insecurity or jealousy.”
Ashley Mitchell was originally on The Real World: Ex-Plosion before joining The Challenge and debuting on Rivals III. She’s appeared on nine seasons, including Spies, Lies & Allies, has reached three finals, and won twice.
Meanwhile, Nelson Thomas started that same season with her and has done eight seasons, reached one final, but never won.
Technically, Cory Wharton started a season ahead of them with Battle of the Bloodlines. He’s done nine seasons, made the final four times, and still hasn’t won it all.
So Ashley may be onto something with those comments about jealousy. As of this report, all three castmates are still around in Spies, Lies & Allies, with two hoping to get that first win that keeps eluding them.
The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.