The Challenge: Battle For a New Champion winner was revealed last week during the season finale, and cheating claims have ensued.
The Season 39 reunion brought all seven finalists back together, with Nurys Mateo suggesting that show winner Emanuel Neagu cheated on his way to victory.
Host Maria Menounos asked reunion participants if Emanuel is a “worthy champion,” with Devin Walker joking he’s the “champion on a season of losers.”
Emanuel fired back that he would “kick the hell out of anyone up there,” which got Nurys fired up.
“Actually you want me to tell the truth? You only won because you cheated off Colleen [Schneider]…so humble yourself,” Nurys said, referring to the giant sudoku puzzle finalists had to solve at one checkpoint.
“Maybe a little bit, but a win is a win,” Emanuel replied, but the castmates took things further on social media.
Nurys blasted Emanuel after reunion episode aired and the Season 39 champ fired back
Drama erupted multiple times during the Season 39 reunion, including Nurys calling out Emanuel for copying a castmate’s puzzle just before his win.
Several of their castmates chimed in, suggesting it’s perfectly fair to do that on The Challenge.
“You copied her entire sudoku. It’s the last thing you did,” Nurys told Emanuel at the Season 39 reunion, adding, “If you hadn’t, I would’ve beat you.”
Taking things to Twitter, Nurys expressed further thoughts about Emanuel after he claimed he would “expose” her.
“If it wasn’t true production wouldn’t have added that in there. They also have footage (which we can ask for) of them proving you ran over to her sudoku the moment she first called check,” Nurys tweeted.
She also said she “can’t wait for the men to humble his a**” next time he’s on The Challenge.
“He loves to talk s*** to me but would never to the men,” Nurys tweeted, adding, “also pick your words wisely because I do have brothers that truly DONT play when it comes to me so keep it cute.”
Emanuel tweeted, “we all know who’s productions fav” along with claims that there was footage to prove she wasn’t even close to finishing the other checkpoint while he was “almost done with the sudoku.”
It’s also worth noting that finalists have been known to cheat off one another’s puzzles during The Challenge. Viewers usually see someone finish a puzzle and then wipe off the answers or puzzle pieces so opponents can’t get it right.
Another puzzle during the Season 39 final involved arranging former Challenge winners’ names on colored squares on a giant puzzle board. The answer key was underwater, requiring the finalists to go out and dive far down to check it out.
Although this was a solo stage of the final, Nurys and Corey Lay decided to team up to solve theirs so they would have a better shot at catching Emanuel. Fellow finalists Berna Canbeldek and Colleen did the same.
This also isn’t the first time Emanuel’s cheating was put on blast, as former show winner Zach Nichols brought up him “hooking up” with multiple Season 39 castmates even though he had a girlfriend off the show.
Nurys suggests viewers ‘probably won’t’ see her on The Challenge for a while
Nurys continued to tweet more about her and Emanuel’s online beef, including a message in which she said she wanted to delete all her tweets about it not to give it “anymore energy” but said others were “quick to screenshot and post on IG.”
She then dropped a bombshell that she might return to The Challenge for a while.
“yall probably won’t see me doing another season for a while,” she tweeted, adding, “I should also deleted twitter cuz I dont know how to not keep my thoughts to myself and this app ain’t healthy.”
A commenter asked if it was due to her tweeting about how The Challenge production included specific footage in the Season 39 final or reunion. Nurys suggested that wasn’t the case.
“I think they usually appreciate how real I am,” she said regarding the production team.
Nurys may want a healthy break from reality TV for a little bit before she has to scratch that itch to return. She’s also looking to spend much more time with Horacio Gutierrez after his time away filming another reality show after The Challenge Season 39.
The Challenge: Battle For a New Champion Reunion Part 2 airs on Wednesday, March 6, at 8/7c on MTV. The Challenge: All Stars 4 premiers Wednesday, April 10 on Paramount+.
I love you girly I want Nury to STAY!!!! Sis you got backstabbed by your bestie you beat out the most strongest competitors it was a crazy season and you did your thing! Little you! lol please get on as many seasons as possible !! She’s amazing with the girls she should’ve been a champion it should’ve be a male and female winner anyways!