Despite competing on multiple seasons of The Challenge, Zach Nichols is seemingly not up to the challenges–- or responsibilities–- of being a hands-on father.
Fans slammed Zach after he made some cringy comments on this week’s episode of The GOHT podcast— bragging that he makes his wife Jenna Compono handle things like diaper duty and all nighttime wake-ups— but Jenna was quick to defend her husband.
Zach and Jenna— who tied the knot in 2021 after meeting on ‘The Challenge’— became parents in September 2021 with the arrival of their son, Anthony. The couple welcomed their second child, daughter Liliana Marie, in December 2022.
As Zach, Jenna and podcast host Pierre Bacall began chatting about parenting, it seemed like Zach was going to compliment Jenna. After claiming that, although he can “do anything,” one thing he could never do is be a mom. Unfortunately, Zach didn’t stop there and proceeded to reveal why he feels this way.
“[Motherhood] is one of the hardest jobs in the world and I’m very lucky that I don’t have to wake up at night to do anything,” he said.
“If [Jenna is] home, I’m not changing poopy diapers, unless like, I’m in a REALLY good mood or there’s two at the same time. If there’s two poopy diapers at the same time, I will do the male poopy diaper because I know the plumbing better.”
When Pierre asked Jenna to “verify” Zach’s chauvinistic archaic SDE comments, she did with no hesitation.
“Oh yeah, absolutely,” she said. “He’ll let me know when they went to the bathroom, though.”
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“He’ll be like, ‘Oh man, he stinks!’ so I’m like waiting, maybe Zach will change him [and] he’s like, ‘He really stinks,’” she continued.
As Jenna willingly co-signed her husband’s no-diaper changing stance, Zach cracked a big smile and said he also notifies Jenna that their children need tending to by saying things like, “this diaper is disgusting, you might want to get to this one sooner than later.
“That’s the best part about being a dad: you’re not the mom!” he said. “You get to do all the fun stuff, and see all these awesome things but at the same time, everyone’s like, ‘How are the kids doing? Are they sleeping through the night?’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ I get my sleep every night. I get my five hours, that’s all I need. And it doesn’t get interrupted.”
Jenna revealed that Zach often grabs his pillow and blanket and goes downstairs to continue his sleep, “while I’m dealing with two crying, screaming babies!”
“Dude, I’m the worst,” Zach said while laughing.
Later in the podcast, Zach talked about how, despite having kids of his own, he still feels like, “I’m still a kid, and I don’t really have to do very much.
While Zach’s attitude probably doesn’t surprise anyone who has watched him on ‘The Challenge,’ the one-time ‘Challenge’ champ was still called out on social media for his comments, with one person arguing that Zach could never be a mom because he “can’t even be a dad.”
“Why does he think this is cute,” one person asked.
“This is why so many women are divorcing their husbands,” another wrote.
“Not a flex Zach,” someone else wrote. “Jenna deserves better. Change your own child’s diaper.”
“Even if he doesn’t change the diaper the way he’s bragging about it and making [you] look stupid in front of everyone shows how disrespectful he is to u,” someone wrote, tagging Jenna.
One person commented that Zach’s actions didn’t indicate he was a bad father, but rather an inconsiderate husband to Jenna.
” … But if Jenna prefers it this way that’s on her too,” they added.
Naturally, Jenna came to Zach’s defense in the comment section, arguing that her and Zach’s one-sided approach to parenting is pretty common, “but no one will ever admit it.”
“All these people saying, ‘Oh my husband does this blah blah,'” she wrote. “Well Zach cleans toilets, floors, bathrooms etc multiple times a week [do] their husbands do that?”
In another reply, Jenna noted that Zach works full time and she is a stay-at-home mom.
“Of course I’m changing most of them lol.. but changing a diaper defines a father,” she wrote. “Not being there for them, caring for them or any of that nope!
“He also wakes up at 3 am for work,” she wrote of Zach. “Once again preaching when you know absolutely nothing lol.”
Hopefully Jenna enjoys changing diapers, as she has stated in the past that she hopes to have seven kids. On the podcast, she said she is ready to try for Baby No. 3 with Zach.
“Liliana is not even four months yet and I’m like, ‘Can we go for another one?'” she said. “He’s like, ‘Oh my God.'”
Watch Zach and Jenna’s full interview on The GOHT podcast below!
(Photos: Instagram)
He’s such a pig.she should have left him years ago.
I mean if she’s cool with it, who are we to say anything? The problem for me though is him bragging about it and like disrespecting her on the podcast. The way he says like yeah I’ll tell her she should have changed it faster, or when she said he goes to the other room and leaves her with 2 screaming babies. That’s not cool and that’s not being a good and considerate partner. It’s fine if she wants to change all the diapers and let him sleep all night, but he doesn’t need to make her look stupid about it.
This guy has been a jerk already to Ashley (remember her? His girlfriend on his original season?) so it doesn’t surprise me that he thinks he’s an alpha male and all that. I feel bad for Jenna.
He’s always treated her badly. God put a whole ass pandemic in the way of her wedding to stop her from marrying him
Feminists are always losing their shit over ridiculous things. My husband has 2 kids and he probably has only changed a diaper 5-1o times in his life. That doesn’t mean he is a bad dad or doesn’t take care of his kids. He works full time, takes out the garbage, does the lawn work and makes dinner for all of us once or twice a week. Women are typically more nurturing which is why they typically do things like diaper duty and late night feedings. That is not sexist. That is human nature. Calm down.
Who’s losing their shit? Who needs to calm down? There isn’t one comment on here where someone is flipping out lol. We’re just saying we feel bad that Jenna can’t seem to see that her situation is NOT normal and that most husbands do wayyyyyy more than hers (and sadly, apparently yours). We’re simply expressing our concern for Jenna because she could have done so much better.
She is such a sweet person. I’ll leave it at that.
What…. the fuck.
Jenna remains a doormat to an emotionally (and probably secretly physically) abusive man. I feel for their kids, who will grow up to think that this is what a good relationship looks like.
I have two kids. I don’t work, I always did every single nighttime feeding and most the diapers.. my husband works so since I appreciate being able not to work right now, it’s not an issue. I want to do those things. He helps on the weekends
They are both disgusting and will raise sexist kids like them 🤢
Zach believes all women are swamp donkeys and Jenna has internalized misogyny. Match made in heaven.
As long as both of them are happy and he CAN do it without the children feeling like he can’t handle it I don’t see the problem(although he does’nt seem to nice). My husband did 100% of the poopy diapers and number 2 bathroom visits if he was home since I am super easily disgusted and have huge problems with smells. But I could do it without showing our daughter how horrible I thought it was. I do 99,5% of the cooking, but my husband can cook something if he has to. On the other hand we shared the parental leave(it’s the norm in my country). Familys should do things the way they want.
She obviously likes their arrangement because she’s defending it and sticking beside him, and if she wants to be the house doormat then so be it. Whatever works for them. As long as the kids are happy and healthy. He probably shouldn’t brag about it though. He should have stopped at saying motherhood is the hardest job and he couldn’t do it.
Jenna has always defended Zach. When he talked to her multiple times like she was a piece of shit, she defended him. When he ghosted her for over a year, she got back together with him. I have seen her cry more over the way Zach has treated her for years then see her smile and yet she defends him. He thinks it’s funny to not be an active father which includes changing poopy diapers, typical Jenna defends him. He works a full time job so “of course she changes the diapers”. Guess what? Many single moms (myself included) and single Dads work a job or several jobs and when they get off work they change their kids diapers, check homework, make dinner, give baths and put their kids to bed. Obviously that’s minimally what you do when raising a child. Hopefully they raise their boys to actually be an involved father and husband who treats their partner equally with respect. Doubtful but I will cross my fingers anyway.
She obviously likes their arrangement because she’s defending it and sticking beside him, and if she wants to be the house doormat then so be it. Whatever works for them. As long as the kids are happy and healthy. He probably shouldn’t brag about it though. He should have stopped at saying motherhood is the hardest job and he couldn’t do it.
This is not one bit surprising, especially after how he treated her on the Challenge. One of the best moments on Challenge history is when Zach got caught on Bumble and managed to flip it and yell for security cause he was done with Jenna.
No part of this surprises me. He’s lucky to have found someone that is okay with this “agreement.”