MTV's Biggest Challenge Scandal That Left Three Fan-Favorites Banned For Life

Over 40 seasons of MTV’s The Challenge, we’ve seen countless fights, dramatic feuds, and wild competitions; however, one of the show’s most shocking scandals led to three OG Challengers being banned from the MTV reality competition. After premiering in June 1998, The Challenge has expanded into something bigger than Bunim/Murray Productions ever could have anticipated.

With its monumental 40th season, The Challenge is reuniting cast members from every Challenge era. Fans are excited to see some of the original Challenge champions return to their screens, but with this being the most nostalgic season yet, it’s hard to ignore the absence of Kenny Santucci and Evan Starkman from The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.

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The Challenge 40: Battle Of The Eras Reminds Fans About Kenny And Evan’s Challenge Banishment

The Challenge 40, hosted by TJ Lavin, brings together 40 of the best Challengers across all the seasons. During the Battle of the Eras, the cast is broken up by era into four teams, with the first era being cast members whose debut season was during season 1 through season 10, the second era being season 11 through season 20, and so on.

For The Challenge 40, competitors who haven’t participated in over ten years are returning to The Challenge. Other OG Challenge champs have been a part of Paramount +’s The Challenge: All Stars in recent years, but have been absent from MTV’s flagship series for the past decade.

Recent seasons of The Challenge have been criticized over casting choices, with more and more rookies being featured over the fan-favorites who made the series a success. But even with The Challenge40’s loaded cast full of Challenge vets, there are two strong Challenge champs noticeably missing from 2024’s stacked lineup – Kenny Santucci and Evan Starkman.

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What Happened Between Kenny, Evan And Tonya During The Challenge: The Ruins

Kenny Santucci and Evan Starkman both made their Challenge debut in 2006, during the series’ 12th season, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat. From the start, they were both poised to be counted among some of the greatest Challenge champs of the entire series.

However, in 2011, Tonya Cooley, who appeared on eight seasons of The Challenge before the controversy, sued MTV, Bunim/Murray Productions, Kenny and Evan, claiming Kenny and Evan sexually assaulted her with a toothbrush in 2009, during the series’ 18th season The Ruins, while she was passed out after drinking and that production knew about the assault and did nothing.

According to
Jezebel,
Tonya’s claims
included noting that “producers were aware of what happened and more than likely watched it on monitors while it was going on. But they did not stop it, nor did they reprimand Santucci or Starkman. They did, however, replace the toothbrush. They never informed Cooley of what happened. She reportedly learned about the incident after the fact from other female cast members.”

Tonya’s lawsuit, according to TMZ, goes on to say “female cast members were stripped of their bathing suits and that male cast members were encouraged by producers to inappropriately touch female cast members’ bodies, including in intimate areas.”

During The Ruins, Tonya’s excessive drinking and “out of control” behavior was a key storyline for the reality star, but she claims that production “provided copious amounts of alcohol and little food to get participants to engage in scandalous behavior that would increase viewer ratings.”

“(MTV and producers) created an environment in which degrading and harassing behavior toward the female contestants was openly tolerated and even encouraged,” the lawsuit claims, according to Fox News.

According to Us Weekly, Tonya’s case against MTV, Kenny and Evan did go to court, but was ultimately settled privately and parties are not allowed to publicly disclose information. It did however, result in Kenny, Evan and Tonya being banned from The Challenge for all future seasons, as they were now seen as potential liabilities for the production company.

While details of the settlement have not been made public, MTV’s parent company, Viacom, responded to Tonya’s complaint in 2012, according to Jezebel, stating, “[Cooley] failed to avoid the injuries of which she complains. [She] was frequently intoxicated, rowdy, combative, flirtatious and on multiple occasions intentionally exposed her bare [private parts] to other contestants.”

What Other Challenge Stars Have Said About Tonya’s Lawsuit Against Kenny And Evan

Outside of the official lawsuit an inside source close to the production of The Ruins, shared details of the alleged assault with FOX411.com’s Pop Tarts column, according to Fox News. “The guys were allegedly filming each other with the toothbrush and a camera they brought on to the show, and then taking pictures of her passed out naked. Tonya only found out about the incident because the other girls told her when she woke up.”

According to the source, the toothbrush allegedly used in the assault belonged to a male contestant Kenny and Evan hated and that they were likely seeking revenge on him, and that the next day Kenny and Evan immediately tried to “get close” to Tonya playing extra nice.

The insider explained, “She didn’t know how to deal with it all.”

Other cast members who were present on The Ruins with Tonya, Kenny and Evan have come forward in Kenny and Evan’s defense claiming while the two men definitely behaved inappropriately, they did not commit any type of sexual assault on Tonya and that Kenny and Evan had to sign a lifelong NDA, so they can’t defend themselves against the claims.

Kenny and Evan were known for their obnoxious behavior and outside the alleged assault, Kenny and Evan, along with Johnny Bananas, treated Tonya awfully during The Ruins. “Evan and Kenny truly get off on being a d**k. They’re obnoxious, they’re annoying, and they’re bad,” said one female castmate in an interview, according to Jezebel.

When it comes down to it, fans don’t know what really happened, and there isn’t even a clear consensus among Challenge cast members on what happened between Kenny, Tonya and Evan during The Ruins.

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Why Fans Miss Kenny And Evan From The Challenge

Evan Starkman and Kenny Santucci were amazing competitors on The Challenge and are remembered for being two of the greatest players in Challenge history. From their debut to their final appearances, both Kenny and Evan were strong matches and listed as top challengers.

Of the eight Challenge seasons Kenny participated in, he won three and made it to the final in four other seasons. Evan participated in six Challenge seasons, winning two and making it to the final in one other season. And their daily wins were some of the highest in the history of The Challenge.

In addition to Evan and Kenny’s impressive Challenge performance, they brought the same level of entertainment to the series as the ultimate Challenge alums, Johnny Bananas, CT Tamburello and Wes Bergmann. Kenny was known as Mr. Beautiful and before Johnny, he was Wes’ main rival in the series. Evan had a lot of quick wit and confessional control like both Johnny and Devin Walker in recent Challenge seasons.

It has been
rumored that Kenny did get the call to come back
to
The Challenge
since the scandal and banishment, but he was unable to get insured. All cast members are required to be insured before appearing on
The Challenge
due to the various risks, including injury, they may face during their time on a season.

If Kenny and Evan were not removed from the series, they likely would have continued to run the game and become among the Challenge vets that fans long for in recent seasons. The Challenge: Battle of the Eras features a great cast made up of both OG Challenge vets and Challenge newcomers, but Kenny and Evan could have been unstoppable additions to Era 2 with their longtime friend Johnny Bananas.

The Challenge

Release Date

April 20, 1998

Main Genre

Reality

Creator(s)

Mary-Ellis Bunim , Jonathan Murray

Cast

David Rainey , David Edwards , Gladys Sanabria , Eric Nies , Mark Long , Jonny Moseley , Dave Mirra , T. J. Lavin

Seasons

39

Writers

Mary-Ellis Bunim , Jonathan Murray

Streaming Service(s)

Paramount+

Franchise(s)

Road Rules

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