Nelson Thomas Breaks Silence on ‘The Challenge’ Incident That Led to Triple DQ
What To Know
- After the triple disqualification of Nelson Thomas, Josh Goldstein, and Leo Dionicio went largely unexplained on this week’s The Challenge, fans cried out for more information.
- Nelson Thomas has broken his silence on the matter and largely confirmed rumors about what happened.
Nelson Thomas has spoken up about exactly what happened on The Challenge Season 42 that led to the triple disqualification of himself, Josh Goldstein, and Leo Dionicio. Seemingly, his words confirm the early reports that Josh said a racial slur during a game with Nelson, prompting Nelson to break items in the kitchen in anger. (Leo, according to those reports, repeated Josh’s word, but Nelson’s posting does not address that part.)
After Wednesday’s (September 16) episode, “Is This Safe?” largely glossed over the incident, Nelson spoke out on his social media channels.
On X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “I let my emotions take over, broke dishes, destroyed kitchen and violated the code of conduct. That’s on me. I’m learning and growing, and I’m grateful my @TheChallenge family sees the good and the bad. #reality TV.”
In a followup post, he added that he’d received an apology from Josh directly, sometime after the incident. “I received his DM apology, and I’m giving him space to take ownership publicly. The fans and @TheChallenge family deserve that too. Saying you have Black friends doesn’t give you a pass to use the N-word. This goes beyond TV. We need accountability, understanding, and growth.”
I received his DM apology, and I’m giving him space to take ownership publicly. The fans and @TheChallenge family deserve that too.
Saying you have Black friends doesn’t give you a pass to use the N-word. This goes beyond TV. We need accountability, understanding, and growth.— Nelson Thomas (@_nelsonthomas) September 17, 2026
He then thanked followers and The Challenge fans for their support during what has been an emotional season for Nelson, who returned for the first time since his below-the-knee amputation following a devastating car accident. “I appreciate y’all. Support me without tearing others down.”
Many The Challenge fans and even costars have complained about the fact that the inciting incident was not shown on screen during Wednesday’s episode. Instead, host T.J. Lavin announced the triple DQ to the cast, saying, “You know it’s never good when I show up to the house. Leo [Dionicio], Nelson [Thomas], and Josh [Goldstein] all broke the code of conduct here on The Challenge, so they’re all gone.”
Though it appeared the shocked cast collected themselves quickly to move on to the business of choosing new team captains, Izzy Fairthorne, who was later eliminated in the arena, said that wasn’t the case.
She told TV Insider, “Everyone was so shocked. Everyone was so sad. It messed up everything in the game, and also, our friends had gone. So it was an emotional time. But I think obviously you didn’t see all of that, and then at the end of the day, we’re in there, and we’re like, ‘OK, the only thing we can do now is lock in.'”
The Challenge, Wednesdays, Paramount+
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