The Challenge's Dee Speaks Out After 'Unacceptable' Comments and Firing
The Challenge star Dee Nguyen is speaking out following MTV’s decision to cut all ties with her following her racially charged tweets.
“I want to sincerely apologize to my fellow cast members, the production crew at Bunin-Murray and the staff at MTV for my choice of words and actions in the most recent events,” the reality star, 27, said in an exclusive statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, June 10. “What was stated wasn’t meant to be hurtful or discriminatory in any matter. It was a knee jerk of a reaction and it’s certainly not the way that I feel nor what I meant.”
On Monday, June 8, MTV announced that the War of the Worlds 2 winner will no longer be part of The Challenge after her “offensive” tweets against the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I would love to take it back. But it is out there and to set to record straight. Racial intolerance is intolerable and unacceptable,” the Geordie Shore alum continued. “Having had to deal with racism my entire life, ironically through all this, there is a warm feeling I have with the fact that humans are standing together to call out unacceptable comments and behaviors that in the past were rarely called on. Again, we are shown that you can be judged in a second on all social media platforms.”
Nguyen’s management team, BLVK Management, also released a statement.
“At this time our team wanted to kindly state we stand strong behind our fellow MTV client Dee Nguyen. We respectfully and kindly ask your outlet or business organization to let our team conduct an internal review as this situation unfolds,” the statement exclusively obtained by Us reads. “Our team is as shocked as you could imagine and would like to affirm that BLVK does not tolerate any form of racism what so ever. We also have an obligation and duty to our clients to ensure their voices are heard and if any of them have made a mistake, allow them to have the opportunity to fix it or clarify it.”
They concluded, “We are working on this as we speak and ask for some patience before any further decision is made.”
Following her firing, Nguyen’s best friend and fellow Challenge champ, Wes Bergmann, spoke out on social media, revealing that he is working with Nguyen to educate her further and to get her help.
“A lot was at stake: everything from the continued momentum of a movement I firmly believe in, all the way to a literal human life,” he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, June 9. “Throughout this time we were able to sit with her and educate her on her mistakes. Systematic racism can not be explained in a night, but I tried and made as much progress as could be expected in this short of a window. This growth will continue where she has been transplanted.”
The Real World alum, 35, continued: “Yesterday, we successfully landed her in what I’m going to refer to as a mental health lodge. We have sourced daily psychotherapy sessions in an effort to essentially build her and outpatient care program from then she eventually leads. Where she’ll go is unknown at this second, and not the current priority — but my best guess is Australia.”
Nguyen first came under fire on Saturday, June 6, when she tweeted, “Idk why some of u think I’m anti BLM. I’ve been saying that since the day I lost my virginity.” Later, when someone brought up the May 25 murder of George Floyd, she commented that “people die every f–king day.”
On June 7, the Total Madnesss star first apologized via Twitter for her comments. “I am sorry for the insensitive tweet I posted earlier. I was being defensive and not speaking from my heart. But there’s no excuse,” she wrote. “I also want to extend an apology to Bayleigh and Swaggy – who are my castmates and deserve my respect and compassion.”
