Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio is breaking down the difference between his real-life personality and the one he plays on TV, while also revealing how his time on ‘The Challenge’ has kept him from getting married and having children.
As reality TV fans may know, Johnny made his MTV debut on ‘The Real World: Key West’ in 2006 and competed on his first season of ‘The Challenge’ that same year. In the two decades that have followed, Johnny has returned to the competition series 17 times, winning seven ‘Challenges’ along the way.
On a recent episode of ‘The Legally Goff’ podcast, Johnny admitted that, although it took him “a while,” he eventually realized that the line between himself and his TV persona had been “blurred,” sometimes to the point that it led to difficult interactions with his loved ones.
“ … I’d come home [from filming] and if I was dating a girl [or] if I got into an argument with my family, they’d be like, ‘I don’t wanna deal with Johnny Bananas, okay?’” he recalled.
After becoming aware of the situation, Johnny said he realized that he would turn on the “Johnny Bananas” persona not consciously, but rather “out of necessity.”
“It’s almost, in a way, like a protective armor,” Johnny said. “So, you can attack Johnny Bananas, you can attack that character, but it’s not gonna affect me because that’s not who I really am.”
Johnny admitted that he sometimes struggles to turn off his “Johnny Bananas” persona, largely due to situations in his life when he’s been personally “betrayed” by those close to him.
“ … it’s made me a very guarded person,” he said. “And I’ve had a hard time sometimes, like, opening up and allowing people to get in close to me and get to know me. So, I think that also, you know, affects my ability to be in a relationship sometimes, as well.”
While he believes that his “TV persona” has affected his love life, Johnny claims that his multiple seasons on ‘The Challenge’ may have also contributed to his current relationship status.
“ … a lot of guys have stepped away from the game, started families, gotten married, gotten jobs, careers. [I’ve] never done that,” he said. “I don’t have a kid, I’m not married, I’ve never had a job other than TV. The last real job I had, I worked at a pizza place at Penn State. So I think that’s what [being on ‘The Challenge’ has] done, is it’s really kind of, in a way, prevented me from taking the traditional path in life.”
Johnny went on to say that being on reality TV has also made him question if he’s even capable of having a more “traditional” life.
“It’s really put, for me, the idea of a family and a relationship, not only [caused me] to put it on hold, but it’s almost made me question what that is and if I’m able capable of being in [a traditional relationship],” he explained.
As you may remember, Johnny’s most recent long-term relationship was with former ‘Big Brother’ star Morgan Willett, whom he met in 2018 while filming ‘The Challenge: War of the Worlds.’ Morgan and Johnny ultimately split in September 2021 after a video of Johnny cheating on Morgan circulated online.
Interestingly, just months before the breakup, Johnny admitted on the Challenge Mania podcast that he told Morgan their relationship likely wouldn’t work out if she continued to appear on future seasons of ‘The Challenge.’
“I’ve been doing this for so long that if there’s any chance for this relationship to work, it can’t be under the public eye of a reality television show,” Johnny said at the time. “Before anything got serious, I basically told her, ‘Listen, you know that … this has been my life, my profession, for the foreseeable future. I just want you to know that if you plan on continuing to do shows, this isn’t gonna work.’”
Morgan seemed to heed Johnny’s warning, as ‘War of the Worlds’ marked her only season on ‘The Challenge.’
You can watch Johnny on the current season of ‘The Challenge: Cutthroat.’ New episodes stream Wednesdays on Paramount+.
Click here to watch a clip from Johnny’s interview on the ‘Legally Goff’ podcast.
RELATED STORY: Johnny Bananas Slams MTV for Not Capitalizing on His Star Power During His “20-Year Emotionally Abusive Relationship” with Network
(Photos: MTV; Instagram)
Uhm, what?! Why is he acting like he is some kind of a victim now?! No one forced you to do all those Challenge seasons, you could have said “no” like plenty of other players now living “traditional lives” as you call it. So many players said they were asked but never came back after a season or two! YOU CHOSE THIS! (And don’t forget, you were on plenty other shows apart from The Challenge) Just say it the way it is: I did it for the MONEY. And you are prob the most loaded Challenge winner so stfu.
And wow, controlling his ex. Glad she got away from you.
Can we stay controlling? He controlled Morgan from going on a challenge stating if you go on the challenge, we will not be able to make it as a couple and cheated on her!He’s making a mockery out of people who are in abusive relationships and can’t get out. Nobody forced him to sign those contracts. He was on plenty of other shows & has always acted like a spoiled and entitled rich boy sometimes MTV was why he couldn’t get married and have children?! there are plenty of other Challengers who have kids or are married or both! He said the same crap about being in an abusive relationship with MTV multiple other times as far back as 2022 that I could find! He acts like a spoiled little brat! White rich boy problems!
This guy… You aren’t married and with children because no self-respecting woman would marry you and want their kids to be influenced by a father that you would be, based off the man-child you have shown yourself to be… You continue to show us that by playing the victim. No one is stopping you from growing up and getting a traditional job. And LOL so, in a relationship, YOU can be on the Challenge, but if the woman wants to be on it too, it won’t work automatically and YOU need t be the one carrying on with the show? That is an ego problem, buddy. Even more of a reason a woman would not want to marry you.
I think he allowed the lines of Johnny vs. Johnny Bananas to get blurred from the start. At this point, it seems like there is no line left. He is the persona and character.
This guy is so delusional. It’s not The challenges fault you can’t keep a relationship, it’s because you’re a massive misogynistic arsehole that cheats and treats women like shit. He gets older yet his girlfriends stay the same age, so gross. Hes gonna end up sad, pathetic and alone when the challenge gets cancelled in the next couple of years, and I just love that for him.
A lot of people that were regulars on The Challenge got married and had kids. I don’t think that’s the reason. I think it’s because he’s a serial cheater (I think he’s cheated on most if not all of his girlfriends). He just can’t control himself in The Challenge house. He’s hooked up with multiple cast members.
Very good point. What’s he gotta say?
I know literally nothing about this dude and never watched the Challenge but to blame others for not getting married or having kids on others is crazy. Maybe it’s cuz people don’t like you. And you chose to keep going on the Challenge. Why didn’t you quit reality tv, get a real job, and settle down?
So he got her to stop appearing on the show just to go ahead and cheat anyway and now she has no career on the show…okay loser.
Ladies
Dude talks WAY too much, are there actually people who like him??
Ive watched Johnny Bananas off and on since “Real World” (I was in high school). He’s not a stand up guy, but he’s entertaining for TV.