‘The Challenge’ Star Nia Moore Issues Apology After Disqualification

Quit touching other people's no-no's, Nia!
Quit touching other people’s no-no’s, Nia!

Last month, The Ashley tipped you off that a dramatic disqualification was coming on The Challenge, and this week the episode aired, with contestant Nia Moore being sent home after she sexually assaulted her competitor, Jordan Wiseley. She was disqualified from the competition after she unleashed a vicious verbal and physical attack on Jordan and his partner, Sarah Rice. During the attack, Nia pulled down Jordan’s pants, insulted his, um, manhood and called him a gay slur, among other things.

“There is a fine line between calling someone names and then there’s crossing that line and actually physically grabbing and touching somebody and I mean, let’s face it, we can’t touch you. So don’t touch me, at all,” Jordan told the cameras after the groping.

In an emotional message posted to her Instagram account yesterday, Nia expressed her anger and disgust with herself over her actions.

“Last September I sat on a dark plane alone, traveling from Norway to Atlanta, wide awake the entire flight,” Nia wrote of the plane ride home after being disqualified. “I was livid with myself. I was also sad, embarrassed and fearful of how my actions would be perceived later. How would I explain this to my friends & family? An opportunity of a lifetime–one that would not only reward me with a ton of money, but prove that I am a resilient competitor–was taken away from me. The painful part was knowing that I had robbed myself. I acted alone and no one else was responsible.”

Fans had a mixed response to Nia’s elimination. Most, however, believed that the show’s producers made the right decision in sending Nia home. After all, Vinny Foti was sent home during the original “Battle of the Exes” season for pulling down the top of contestant Mandi Moyer, so it’s only fair that Nia would be given the same punishment.  (Also– how the hell did Nia manage to not be sent home on Real World: Portland after doing this to her cast mates? Didn’t anyone ever tell her to keep her hands to herself?)

"I'm sorry I can't stop hittingpeople!"
“I’m sorry I can’t stop hitting people!”

In an interview with MTV News, Nia said that she know understands why the show’s producers acted in the way that they did.

“When they kicked me off, my first reaction was that it was completely wrong, and unjustified, but I thought about it, and if the roles were reversed and if Jordan pulled my pants down, I would want him kicked off. It was wrong,” she said, later adding on Twitter that she still has nightmares about the incident.

During her tirade, Nia also used a homophobic slur, something she told MTV News she also deeply regrets.

“I know I was wrong, and my biggest fear is being labeled homophobic,” she said. “I want to extend my apology to anyone I offended, and I sincerely mean that. But because I do care what people think about me in that aspect, I want them to know it’s something I am not proud of.”

The show’s producers have become much more strict in dealing with the contestants’ hijinks since the “Tonya Toothbrush” lawsuit of 2011. (In case you’re unfamiliar with the case,  ‘Challenge’ contestant Tonya Cooley sued the production company and several others after Evan Starkman and Kenny Santucci allegedly sexually assaulted her with a toothbrush while they filmed “The Ruins” in 2009. In the lawsuit, Tonya also claimed that the show’s producers encouraged inappropriate behavior.) They do not give contestants the extra chances they used to during early seasons of the show.

In her Instagram post, Nia asked Jordan and her fans to forgive her.

“In real life (reality show or not) there are consequences for your actions,” she wrote. “I do hold myself accountable…but all I can do now is move forward, apologize to those I have hurt or offended and make better, wiser choices in the future.”

It is not yet known whether the show’s producers will allow Nia to come back on future seasons of ‘The Challenge.’ Given the history, however, it’s unlikely. Evan and Kenny have yet to return to a ‘Challenge,’ following the Tonya incident, and Vinny Foti has not been featured on a ‘Challenge’ since his disqualification. The Ashley’s source tells her that producers began calling potential cast members this week to participate in the next ‘Challenge,’ but The Ashley can’t confirm whether or not Nia got a call.

(Photos: MTV)

17 Comments

  1. I feel that the only real reason why she is apologizing is so that she can get back on the show. She has apologized before and then do something evil again. She is someone that doesn’t deserve to come back just like the others who have done something like that.


  2. Nia made a mistake. We see that, she seen that, and she apologized for it. Nia is NOT homophobic, as if you’ve ever seen her snapchats and Instagram posts her more prideful friend is looks pretty inoffended being around Nia. What she did to Jordan, was wrong everyone knows that, and so does she but these comments about her being a disgusting person is just as bad as you posting that rude negativity. MTV your bloodlines cast sorry to say it sucks. Their is only a few on there that were decent. But anyways I think Nia should be able to comeback to THE CHALLENGE after RIVALS III. As I’ve already seen the cast for, which is disappointing. Nobody interesting.


    1. Sorry, but not only is your girl a big bully, she is straight-up NASTY. She drank a cup of someone’s sweat because “She’ll do anything if the price is right”. In addition to attacking his manhood and using a homophobic slur, she also mocked Jordan’s physical deformation which is ironic, because he can accomplish far more with one hand than she could with two because she often quit on herself and poor Leroy. She offered nothing on the show but being a brut and she won’t be missed.


  3. Nia is probably one of nastiest mean spirited people I have ever seen on this show. Hope she never makes it on again, she adds no value and makes for terrible TV. Get rid of mtv PLEASE!!!!!


    1. @Ashley– the lawsuit wasn’t filed by the time that rivals was filmed. The incident happened in 2009, but Tonya didn’t file until late 2011. That’s why they were both on that season. They have not been on a season since the lawsuit. -The Ashley


  4. I really don’t like Nia. She does give drama to the show and intentionally gets people going but every time she starts a rant I hit fast forward, I didn’t even finish her season of real world. I hope she’s done with challenges. It’s crazy some of the fights they let continue and keep people on the show lately.


  5. I like Nia sometimes, but then she does something that makes me dislike her, so I’m always back and forth about her. I think the difference between her and Vinny is that Ginny didn’t seem sorry at all on the show when he was told to leave. I’ve never looked up whether he has apologized to Mahdi, so I don’t know if he has, but Nia has been apologizing quite a bit, so I’m wondering if that will make a difference for her if she wants to come back on the show.


    1. I personally hope she comes back. She makes the show interesting, along with another favorite of mine Jonna. Nia understands her wrong doings and has been apologizing about it quite a bit, also paying tribute to Diem Browns passing on her Instagram. Nia is sincere and people misguide that.


  6. So crazy. I don’t hate Nia, but it’s about time she had some repercussions for her actions as they’ve crossed the line many times before. Hopefully she’ll grow from this, which at least in the PR way she seems like she’s on that path.

    Also, speaking of the above comment…any word on how Ryan Knight officially died?? Other than the vague accounts that it was after a night of partying? I’ve searched Google news but have yet to see an autopsy report… Just curious!


    1. Tmz posted it a few days ago, he had a huge cocktail of drugs (methadone, a pain killer I forget, cocaine, and something else) plus booze.


  7. She probably shouldn’t, at least not for a while. They made CT take a break for a while after beating the snot out of Adam, then he came back and we all fell in love with him again.

    Speaking of – any idea if he’ll come back after Diem’s passing, Ashley? I know Jemmye said she’s done after Ryan passed, I can’t blame them or anything but I’ll miss CT. 🙁

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