Several relationships formed during The Challenge 38: Ride or Dies, but Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio’s apparent connection with rookie Moriah Jadea went unnoticed. Fans have caught the two spending a lot of time together and a couple of kisses in scenes. However, it hasn’t become a storyline in the season. Moriah appeared on Bananas’ podcast Death, Taxes, and Bananas, where he admitted the two had a “full-blown Challenge relationship.”
Johnny’ Bananas’ Devenanzio called romance with Moriah Jadea a ‘full-blown Challenge relationship’
During an episode of the Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast, host and seven-time champ Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio started the episode by introducing his guest.
He explained that the person is someone he has a “connection with” that caught him off guard. The host continued and noted that while the new relationship has gotten pushback, it’s rare that competitors find someone they “click with” in the house.
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Additionally, he called it a “full-blown Challenge relationship,” although he pointed out that the “showmance” hasn’t received any airtime. He then joked about the person being Devin Walker, as the comments also correlate with his new relationship with his former rival before introducing Moriah.
Recently, two-time finalist Paulie Calafiore threw shade at the couple as he rudely made fun of the rookie for getting involved with Bananas. While their apparent relationship has shocked many fans and castmates, her partner, veteran Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat, doesn’t seem surprised, noting they both have a similar sense of humor.
Bananas allegedly spent ‘days’ courting Moriah
When the season 38 cast celebrated Johnny Bananas’ birthday, fans noticed him and Moriah kissing and wondered why the relationship went under the radar.
Following the episode, MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast hosts discussed the romance, and Aneesa Ferreira revealed she witnessed him courting her differently than other castmates he’s pursued in the past.
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According to the veteran, the multi-season champ spent “days” trying to woo Moriah and attempted to impress her by playing the guitar for her. However, Aneesa called the rookie a “woman of values” who didn’t want to hook up in the house because she didn’t want to give the wrong impression.
Additionally, she knew her parents were watching. Therefore, Bananas agreed to wait. Aneesa pointed out the “growth” she noticed in him but admitted he also gave daily reports of his progress, telling her group, “well, I’m not getting that far.” The veteran called it “cute” watching him put in the effort to court Moriah, as Bananas has easily had flings throughout his Challenge career.
Fessy Shafaat and Moriah casually dated before ‘The Challenge 38’
Moriah, an Orlando-based influencer, debuted on The Challenge for Ride or Dies alongside Fessy.
He explained their relationship during his episode on The Challenge Mania podcast, starting with how they met.
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According to the Big Brother star, he noticed her on his Instagram feed before appearing on reality TV and attempted to get her attention by “liking” her pictures and sending her direct messages. Fessy claimed she finally responded after he got verified on the social media app, and the two began casually dating.
However, he noted things didn’t work out between them because she seemed to want a relationship while he wanted to continue having fun. Regardless, they remained friends and agreed they would allow each other to pursue romances in the house. The Challenge airs Wednesdays on MTV.
