BY DC CUEVA
In the aftermath of what happened last Wednesday on The Challenge: Rivals III, DCBLOG would like to revisit a story we told you here while we covered Season 2 of Are You The One? two years ago. There, in one of the first times where we got to present stories involving the people of the MTV Trifecta at the end of our posts covering this franchise, we discussed when the first instance of a major life-changer occurred to a popular Real World cast of recent years, and the interesting side story that took place there involving one of the key figures from this past week's episode, and for which we'll be explaining what's next for that person afterwards. Enjoy this bonus piece of DC ExtraTime before we bring you a recap of this week tomorrow on DC WRAP.
Excerpt from 'Pulse: AYTO Season 2 - Week 3 from October 2014, reposted in the interest
of MTV Trifecta fans and updated with pics and used with courtesy of the castmates' IG's.
of MTV Trifecta fans and updated with pics and used with courtesy of the castmates' IG's.
Mike Mike Gets Married...and a Make-Up
Last Saturday in that town in the O.C. that's so familiar to all of us MTV fans - Laguna Beach, Mike Ross from Real World Back to Las Vegas, best known to us as simply Mike Mike, tied the knot with his girlfriend Taylor Roberts in a ceremony there, followed by a reception in the California sun. Just as it was when Chet from RW Brooklyn got hitched back in August, most of his castmates, not all of them, were in attendance to see this latest event in the post-camera life of a RW season that stands out to me as an all-time favorite. In the case of Mike Mike, the contingent included the other half of his bromance Leroy, fellow Marylander Cooke, fellow castmates Nany and Adam, and Mike's good friend and defending Challenge champion Laurel.
Here's some of the reaction from Twitter and Instagram from Team MTV.
@heathermarter: Will miss my mtv fam this weekend :( @NanyMTV @AdamRoyerr @RoyLee25mtv congrats again to the beautiful couple @MikeRossMTV @tayl0r0berts 💕💍
- @AdamRoyerr: @heathermarter @NanyMTV @RoyLee25mtv @MikeRossMTV @tayl0r0berts I wish u were coming heather 😭😭
- @NanyMTV: @heathermarter @AdamRoyerr @RoyLee25mtv @MikeRossMTV @tayl0r0berts you will be missed, Peanut 💕
- @MikeRossMTV: @heathermarter @NanyMTV @AdamRoyerr @RoyLee25mtv @tayl0r0berts thank you so much heather!!! We'll miss you!!! :-D
- @scooter5000: @AdamRoyerr @heathermarter @NanyMTV @RoyLee25mtv @MikeRossMT wish i was coming. somebodys gotta keep u guys in line. or at least have bail $
@NaomiMTV: @MikeRossMTV @tayl0r0berts I am sooo excited for you guys and wish u nothing but a lifetime of happiness together wish I could have been👰💎💍
- @MikeRossMTV: @NaomiMTV @tayl0r0berts thank you so much Naomi :-) xoxoxo
@NanyMTV: Oh hey Laurel #Stucky #California ❤️ @ Montage Laguna Beach http://instagram.com/p/uTt5epxStd/@NanyMTV: #WeddingReady 👰💘 @ Laguna Beach, California http://instagram.com/p/uTweYdxSis/@NanyMTV: These cuties #WeddingReady @roylee25mtv @alysonmariex0 💋 @ Laguna Beach, California http://instagram.com/p/uT2GvCRSug/@NanyMTV: Blowing up social media today for @tayl0r0berts wedding 💋 http://instagram.com/p/uT3Up3RSgy/@NanyMTV: Mr & Mrs Ross 💍 http://instagram.com/p/uT8skyRSqi/-IG @MissCaraMaria: She is stunning! What a classy dress! Congrats to mike mike. Beautiful wife!
@NanyMTV: #Vegas #Reunited #RossWedding @cookemtv adamroyerr @roylee25mtv @ Montage Laguna Beach http://instagram.com/p/uUBRv4xSi6/-IG @MissCaraMaria: Cooookeee!
-IG @LauraLeeWaller: Lookin good nan!
-IG @IAmHeatherCooke: My heels were sinking in the grass.. :/ everyone knows id rather wear a pair of cleats..
-IG @TheRealNiaMoore: U guys look great!
-IG @BrittanyBaldi: @nanycarmen @roy_lee25 cuties :-)
@NanyMTV: #RossWedding adamroyerr @ Montage Laguna Beach http://instagram.com/p/uUJbl-RSgE/@NanyMTV: The groom and I @tayl0r0berts I love you!!! @ Montage Laguna Beach http://instagram.com/p/uUXibUxSrK/@NanyMTV: The most beautiful wedding ever #MyPeople http://instagram.com/p/uUXvngxSrj/
@NanyMTV: #RossWedding http://instagram.com/p/uUYYFNxSsy/@AdamRoyerr: Amazing wedding! Congrats @tayl0r0berts & @tayl0r0berts #RossWedding http://instagram.com/p/uT_894rW8w/@AdamRoyerr: The most beautiful wedding congrats @tayl0r0berts @tayl0r0berts !!! #RossWedding @nanymtv @roylee25mtv… http://instagram.com/p/uUNFPcLWyh/@RoyLee25mtv: #RossWedding with @AdamRoyerr !!@MikeRossMTV is now a married man!! To the beautiful @tayl0r0berts 😍😃#LagunaBeach
@RoyLee25mtv: Just like old times!! With the Groom @MikeRossMTV on his wedding day.. #RossWedding #LagunaBeach #RealWorldVegas
@RoyLee25mtv: That view is everything at the #RossWedding with @AlysonMarieX0 <--😍😘👏👀#California #LagunaBeach
@iamheathercooke: One more flight and I'll be in LA!!! California California here I comeeeee!
@iamheathercooke: Let the celebration begin!!! @tayl0r0berts @MikeRossMTV
@iamheathercooke: Great seeing my girl @nanycarmen !
-IG @NanyCarmen: Love
@iamheathercooke: Good to reunite w/ the Vegas crew! #rosswedding #lagunabeach #montage
@iamheathercooke: Awesome memories at the @mike_b_ross and @tayrob25 wedding!! We are all so happy for you two!!
@iamheathercooke: We love dessert!!!!! You two shoulda stayed til the end.. There was an IN N OUT truck #rosswedding
-IG @roy_lee25: I knowwwww!!! I was so drunk that I forgot about it smh lol
@laurelstucky: So excited to see @mikerossmtv and @tayl0r0berts get married today :). Southern California is beautiful.
@laurelstucky: Congratulations Mrs. Ross! @tayl0r0berts cc @mikerossmtv
@MTVBananas: Congrats to my boy @MikeRossMTV and his lovely bride to be! She'd better treat you right Mike Mike, you're a Gem! @MTV #marriage
- @MikeRossMTV: @MTVBananas Was sad to miss you at the wedding, but sure was happy to see your awesome gift! Look forward to catching up when we get back!
@MTVtrey: @MikeRossMTV congrats on your big day, buddy!
Mike came to Vegas as the nerdy, goofy one who also had a rough childhood than what his easygoing style would suggest. He lived with two tough parents who were both abusive and did drugs, then was shuttled between some of his extended family. And he also dealt with his mom having health problems, him having to raise 7 half-siblings and then going to the University of Maryland.
During the season, Mike was in a season-long feud with Dustin that started with a truth or dare kiss on what would be Dustin's girlfriend, Heather. It then continued with Mike's insensitive comments relating to Zito's infamous Frat Pad scandal while on a charity function, which led to a fight in Cancun. Other than that, he wasn't involved in much drama, staying true to keeping the same morals of looking for the quality lady and not hooking up much. Mike also developed the bromance with Leroy, along with ending their trip with a mock wedding with Naomi, and yes, that prayer from the premiere.
Then on The Challenge: Rivals, after Adam was kicked off yet again when he punched Ty, Mike came to Leroy's rescue as his replacement. And in a house totally dominated by veterans & enemies, and with a seemingly unfair advantage of being the only pair who's not Rivals but in fact are also BFF's, they made it all the way to the final without ever going into the jungle and finished in 3rd place.
While Mr. Lean Body and the rest of the Vegas cast would go on to do future Challenges, Mike would settle down to a life outside the MTV world. There, he got to go travel overseas to help underprivileged children in donating used iPads, iPods and computers to those needy kids. When he returned home, he would find the right girl in Taylor, and a year after they proposed, he becomes the first in his cast to get married. Congrats Mike & Taylor, all the best as you both as you embark on this new journey. You've got a great future ahead.
Now, the thing that caught my eye this weekend was what happened with two people who saw Mike & Taylor say their I do's. If you saw the Instagram photos posted by his Vegas castmates over the weekend, you'll notice a couple of very interesting and telling photos: that would be of beauty Nany and bad boy Adam posing together, both by themselves and then with Team Vegas. And from fans who keep an eye out of who's following who in social world, she is now following him in social world, all after she had him blocked during and then in the three ensuing years after The Real World.
Of course, the cause of all this was what happened in Sin City. For Adam, there was his wild bad boy behavior where his young, drunken self saw him get kicked out of clubs numerous times, led to tensions with Leroy and putting everyone on edge. For Nany, it was her hooking up with him that led to her boyfriend back home calling it quits to their love affair, and then that fling with Adam going into another world of crazy, just like what we saw with Adam & Brittany in Hawaii. It all came crashing down when, with his friends in town and her seeing a local guy, the ticking time bomb smashed the Hard Rock suite, which led security to kick Adam out of both the hotel and the show. And when he made one more visit to Vegas name near the end, she had enough.
Being there for Mike's big day was the first time they had seen each other since the RW XXV reunion three years ago. Adam has changed considerably since, having moved to LA two years ago, became an investor in the Vybe bracelet, settled down to a nice girlfriend and now works as a bar manager. And for Nany, she's done three Challenges, just came off of a 2nd place finish (and new love interest in Cohutta) on Free Agents and is now a power player with perhaps great things to come.
Being there for Mike's big day was the first time they had seen each other since the RW XXV reunion three years ago. Adam has changed considerably since, having moved to LA two years ago, became an investor in the Vybe bracelet, settled down to a nice girlfriend and now works as a bar manager. And for Nany, she's done three Challenges, just came off of a 2nd place finish (and new love interest in Cohutta) on Free Agents and is now a power player with perhaps great things to come.
As I tweeted during my Retro Night tweets last weekend, and unlike other fans who were caught off guard by this unexpected sight, I'm not totally surprised that Adam and Nany have mended fences to the point where they are now friends. After all, Adam was the subject of one of my posts during Free Agents about how he has mellowed out considerably after Vegas and then receiving tons of fan hate (RW Vegas was the first season where twitter had a noticeable presence). And considering he has matured and she has gotten older, they finally realized that the past should be in the past, and now was the right time to reconcile and be civil.
Okay, so this may not have the kind of huge impact that we saw when Chris T. and Shanley had to face the music during that baby shower after-party in Hollywood, or even what happened recently to two pairs from RW St. Thomas making amends in Latoya & Swift and Trey & Laura. But it's good to see that, from these pictures, that three years after the fact that now one of The Real World's most-infamous couples are now on friendly terms, bringing what happened in Sin City to some closure.
To read more about Adam and the Vybe wristband, check out RW/Challenge Stories: Vybe right here: http://dc408dxtr.blogspot.com/2014/05/real-worldchallenge-stories-vybe.html
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
As we re-post this article here, the Back to Las Vegas has yet to taste a Challenge win, but two years after Mike became the first from his cast to get married, Adam became the first to become a parent when his new baby was born back in the spring. For Nany, she had to endure an early exit for the fifth time in six Challenges - the only time she made it to the end was on Free Agents.
On Thursday, she announced on Twitter that she will be retiring from The Challenge as in the lead-up to this Challenge, she moved from her longtime home of Buffalo to her new home of Chicago where she and her boyfriend are now living. Culled from the 'Pulse we posted here late last night, or earlier this morning depending upon where you are, again - here's her tweets...
From @NanyMTV...
● @WestonBergmann despite all the trials and tribulations this season- I want to thank you for being by my side through it all 💋❤️ #Rivals3
● ... & to my cousin, my family, my blood- @NicolexoRamos I am so proud of you. It is your time to carry on our legacy- #TeamDominican 🇩🇴
- @NicolexoRamos: @NanyMTV aww I love you , you're so sweet to me 👯
● & to all my ride or die's that have been with me since 2011 Real World Las Vegas... Thank you for watching and supporting me always being ME
● I love you guys😘
● Oh and... Shout out to @ImSarahRice for being a beautiful human and comforting my soul sister @JennaCompono on tonight's episode...
- @JennaCompono: @NanyMTV Aww love you both ❤️
● We love you @ImSarahRice 🤗
At the end of her MTV stint, Nany has no doubt been through a lot: her tumultous relationship with Adam which ended peacefully as we brought you above, her valiant quest for her biological father which we looked back on here during Exes 2, becoming BFF's with rival Jonna and now Jenna, and competing on six Challenges which has seen her become one of the most-popular cast members in the Trifecta ecosystem. Now, she's heading into the real Real World: going back to school and pursue a degree, and finding her perfect match in a great boyfriend who, hopefully soon, will become a married couple. We applaud her on this six-year journey and let her go on her way and say good luck in her future endeavors.
We'll leave the last word here to Nany with excerpts from her casting tape, and from her final confessional from her original MTV season, Real World Back to Las Vegas five years ago - both courtesy of the now-defunct Real World Dailies site. See you back here tomorrow.
From Nany's Casting Tape...
"I think anyone who's auditioning for the show has at some point thought to themselves like, 'Hey, I would be living with 7 complete strangers, 7 people who I don't know.' And not only would it be the opportunity of a lifetime and something I talk about until the day I die, but it's also more about making friendships and building relationships and learning how to react when put in certain situations.
So that right there would be the biggest reason why I think I should be on the show. I tend to cherish the friendships & the people in my life, and given the opportunity, I think I would take full advantage of The Real World."
Her Final Confessional...
"To look back on this experience, I mean, it has definitely been one hell of an emotional roller coaster for me. I've laughed, I've cried - I've cried a lot. But, I guess before I never knew exactly why I cried so much. And thanks to this experience, I now know why I do, and I bottled up so many emotions the last few years that my only way of expressing how I feel is to cry.
If I learned anything while being here is that it's okay to dig deep,inside of yourself and figure out why you feel the way that you do, figure out what's best for you, figure out what isn't good for you and take all that and run with it.
All in all, you know, I came in here with a boyfriend. I was in a 6-year relationship, 6 years too long. I knew it that coming into this, that it wasn't good for me, it wasn't healthy. I never knew how to get myself out of it. Being here and just being away has given me all the time in the world to really think & analyze my actions and the way that I think & the way that I feel. And I've come to realize that you can get away and you can figure yourself out. And sometimes, what you think is best for you really isn't. And sometimes just getting away is all it takes for you to understand those things.
My entire process in finding my father was something I always wanted to do, and something I have bottled up inside for years, never talked about it. And to come here and to just lay it all out on the table for the world, no one will ever understand how hard that was. But, I'm so happy that I did it because I'll leave here and I won't have to wonder anymore. I won't.
For coming in here, I had my life planned out for me. So I thought anyway. I thought I would be with my ex for the rest of my life. Thought I would live in Jamestown forever. As going to school for something that's really didn't want to do, but I just felt I had to. Only because I didn't want to be behind there the rest of my life. But when it comes down to it, coming to Vegas showed me that there is more to life. Meeting these people let me know that there are people out there who do care about me. There is more people that care about me besides my ex. I don't have to live my life for somebody else. I don't really have to feel so stuck because I don't want to hurt somebody else.
My life is my life. And I have to live it for me. And there's no more revolving my life around a man, that's for sure. And you know what? Someday I will find somebody who really does love & care me and wants to treat me good. And that's, you know what? I can tell in my heart, I have a lot to give. I will give someone the world. But, I'm not looking for that right now. I'm focusing on me and giving myself the world."
- I AM DC
No comments:
Post a Comment
Got something on your mind? Let us know! But please be mindful and do not post spam or negative comments (due to that, all comments are subject to blogger approval... and we reserve the right to disable these sections if things get way out of hand).