Cory Wharton is reflecting on his behavior during ‘The Challenge: Cutthroat,’ calling his on-camera antics regretful and hard to watch back.
“It was a terrible season to watch,” the father of three said in new interview with E! News. “I hated every second of it.”
As viewers know, Cory spent his short-lived time in ‘The Challenge’ house this season engaging in some heavy flirtation with fellow competitor Izzy Fairthorne. Cory chose to do this despite being in relationship at the time with longtime girlfriend Taylor Selfridge, the mother of his two youngest daughters, Mila and Maya. (Cory also shares daughter Ryder with Cheyenne Floyd.)
While Cory and Taylor’s then-rocky relationship was repaired temporarily after their daughter Maya suffered a health scare in March– the very reasons that Cory left this season of ‘The Challenge’ early– Cory’s near-showmance with Izzy ultimately led Taylor to end their nine-year relationship in early October.
Although Cory has apologized publicly and privately for disrespecting Taylor during his time in Thailand, he maintains that he should’ve conducted himself differently while in ‘The Challenge’ house, despite the relationship struggles he and Taylor had been having at the time.
“I just wish that it didn’t come off as disrespectful towards Taylor because I never meant for it to be like that,’ Cory said. “ … We had our issues before this season, we really did. But I didn’t mean to disrespect her.
“I just shouldn’t have been so selfish,” he added.
As someone who has appeared on multiple reality series, including ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter’ and ‘Ex on the Beach’– the latter of which being where he first connected with Taylor– Cory said he recognizes that the only thing someone in his position can do is own up to their actions.
“You’ve just got to take accountability,” he said. “I know what I signed up for. I’m grown. I knew what I was doing. You know, I was just being selfish. I wasn’t thinking about how this would look on [Taylor] and how other people would feel about this.
“I was just in the moment, enjoying myself and being selfish,” Cory continued.
While Cory claims to regret his recent on-camera behavior, he also argues that the aftermath of the situation could be a lot worse.
“ … the beauty in it is you live and you learn,” Cory said. “Nobody died, nothing crazy happened. Yeah, it’s sad a nine-year relationship didn’t work out, it’s terrible. But at the same time, I see my kids every week still, I need to prove to them that daddy’s more present now than ever before, right?
“I think it just goes into me pouring my love and my presence into my daughters,” he continued. “Like, I love being a dad … I might not be the best partner, but I am a great father and that is something nobody can say about me, or nobody can say I’m not.”
Cory credited his time on reality TV for making him a great dad.
“Honestly, me being on TV has done nothing but make me a better person, and I’m forever grateful for that,” he said. “It’s made me the dad that I am.”
Although Cory seems to be experiencing a bit of f**k boy remorse at the moment, he insisted just weeks ago that he didn’t waste Taylor’s time by not putting a ring on it, despite Taylor openly expressing a desire for them to get married.
“ … Wasted time? Do you know how many memories [we have]?” Cory told fans on Snapchat. “We have two beautiful kids together. No time was wasted. What are we talking about?”
Cory went on to tell followers the perception that he “wasted” Taylor’s time stems from society’s “mixed up” view on how a relationship should look.
“The only thing we didn’t do was get married,” Cory argued. “That’s the only thing! One day of being married is going to change and take back all those memories and make them that much better? That’s not how it works!
“You guys are brainwashed by society,” he added.
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(Photos: MTV; Instagram)
We all need to stop this narrative that you can be a great dad and a terrible partner. Challenge man- your public humiliation of your partner was most certainly felt by your children through their mother. Stop acting like it’s not connected.
If your relationship ends, that is totally ok. Relationships can end without abuse and disrespect. Those parents move on to coparent with mutual respect.
However, going on television or running to the tabloids and repeatedly hurting the mother of your children who cares for your children 99% of the time isn’t being a great dad. Kids can feel that toxicity. Simply put- you aren’t a great Dad. You’re 0/2. Stop trying to convince us otherwise and go to therapy.
He hates it but has continued to repeat this behavior for years and years.