This past week saw a milestone that wasn't worth celebrating in this country just as a new regime took over the White House: a full year has now passed since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the U.S., resulting in an increasing number of deaths and cases. And the ensuing pandemic -- combined with a divisive Presidential Election, the protests for Black Lives Matter and on Capitol Hill, and all of what 2020 & this first month of 2021 have dished out at us -- has seen our mental health be tested.
Ask those who have been doing MTV Reality shows and they can tell you that, while it can score you buzz and hundreds of thousands of social media followers, the experience of doing these can be a bit exhausting. Last week, the gossip queen of the Floridian beach town of Siesta Key, Chloe Trautman, opened up on her social media channels that she's taking a step back from filming Season 4 of the college-aged version of Laguna Beach and not joining her castmates on their current vacation to the Caribbean as the numerous aspects of the show has, as of late, been affecting her mental health.
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| @TheLionelGreen |
When he was a teenager and then into being an adult, Lio grappled with his mental health a lot from having to live in group homes to being hospitalized, to learning about his biological brother Lorenzo after he was killed. Combine that with the unhealthy state of being in a Challenge house with being away from his family back home, and all that comes with being in the non-competitive nature of a Challenge house with other people, and you'd have an environment that might be hazardous -- and no doubt, he made the smart and right call to take himself out of the game.
As someone who has always been weary about those who quit on him for reasons not related to getting injured and going off on them, when announcing that Lio had withdrew from the game and letting him off without harm, TJ Lavin made note that this was for mental health reasons in that what the wrestler is going through is serious, more important than money, and relatable to what all of us are going through, especially now. It's a far cry from what happened to two of my good friends in this MTV Reality world who turned the host into an angry dad yelling at a young son for not getting that homework done.
When he left The Challenge house on his own power in getting a hug from partner Gabby Allen of Love Island UK fame and from all the cast & those watching sending him best wishes and respect, Lio wrote the following on his social channels, accompanied by a photo of him & his wife Sarah as they get set to welcome something just as good as $1 million: her first baby and his third kid.
Twitter/IG @TheLionelGreen
"April 2020 I was let go of my dream job with #WWE during the beginning of the pandemic with no real hope of what was next for me in my career. A few weeks later i was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime by MTV and that was to compete on television for 1 million dollars. I’ve always had my dreams of becoming reality TV star, so that was cool too.😆 I was so excited for this unlike anything else. This was hands down the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life. This was a fresh start and new beginning for me and my family. Unexpectedly I noticed that I’ve never been so vulnerable until this experience in the house. But this is what I’ve been wanting. So afraid to open up. Force to grow up very fast at a young age due to circumstances in my childhood and during that time I’ve made mistakes in my life because what kid doesn’t. Ive experienced so much growth from this experience. I was made to be the villain a few years ago and it was heartbreaking. I want to stand before you today as a hero. A hero to anyone out there that suffers from depression, anxiety, PTSD or any mental illness. A hero to the boys and girls who look like me. I came into the house knowing that it’ll be a challenge for me mentally on top of the challenge itself . To my @challengemtv fans and to all of the dope people in the house. Thank you for helping me grow. I didn’t walk away with a million dollars, but I walked away with something far much greater that I was expecting. I love you and goodluck with the rest of the season. Thank you for all of the incredible memories. I promise I will be back, but for now it’s time for me to get ready for my little one to come into this world and be here for my beautiful wife during our pregnancy. Thank you @mtv !"
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| IG @ItsJosephAllen |
By sure luck of the draw, there are two another musicians on this Challenge cast, and while we haven't really seen the big move made yet by Mechie, we sure have heard about the other one. We all remember Joseph Allen taking his shot at Wes when it came time for the first guys' elimination, and he swung out dramatically in a wipeout of an Crater battle against Kyle. But the broader reality community knows Joe for his unforgettable show-stopping performance on the 2019 season of America's Got Talent that earned him overnight star status of a 40+ million viewed video of his audition, a Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel, and a slew of new music which he dropped during this winter.
So, it came as perhaps no surprise to anyone that these two came together for a musical collaboration that was released on streaming platforms just prior to Lio's departure from Iceland, along with the accompanying music video. Also joining them, someone who was part of the drama of this week's episode of Double Agents, Survivor castaway and Ex On The Beach alum Jay Starrett.
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| IG @ItsJosephAllen |
Nonetheless, as the city continues to grow in prominence Austin and surrounding Travis County have well over 2,000 homeless residents, and its government has pledged over $60 million to help that growing population. With that in mind, over the holidays Joe decided to give back to those who couldn't to spend the holidays with loved ones or even at a comfortable place for them to sleep to escape the cold. As Christmas 2020 was celebrated differently, he thought of asking everyone to donate whatever they can to a GoFundMe site with the goal to help feed over 1,000 Austinites who are homeless and less fortunate at the end of a tough year. And with their help and over $2,000 in donations, Joe provided the homeless with boxes of warm pizza from Little Caesars to help lift their spirits with a slice of the pie.
- I AM DC
#DCBLOG
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