"It tells a good story" — The Challenge star Aviv Melmed Bruno on the show's twists and turns

Aviv Melmed Bruno’s return to The Challenge after an 18-year hiatus sparked significant interest, especially given her previous stint on Fresh Meat. As a competitor in the 40th season of The Challenge, Bruno quickly made her mark both physically and socially.

However, her journey was filled with unexpected twists, including her controversial disqualification (DQ), an injury, and moments of drama, particularly involving the infamous “footsie-gate.” As she reflects on her experiences, Bruno opens up in an interview with EW on December 4, saying,

"And you know that the show's edited... And guess what? It tells a good story."

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Aviv Melmed Bruno breaks down her The Challenge experience

Footsie-Gate: What really happened?

A pivotal moment in the season’s storyline involved the now-infamous footsie incident, which drew considerable attention on social media. While the drama around the incident was heavily discussed, Aviv provided insight into what transpired behind the scenes.

According to her, the situation escalated from a series of interactions that occurred even before the cameras began rolling.

"I had an injury on my foot, so after the challenges, I would always rest my foot… Johnny tapped me, and it was right in front of Michele, and Michele had made some comment about touching each other....At that point, the cameras weren't even there." she explained to EW.

The altercation continued, eventually drawing the cameras in. Aviv admitted that she and Johnny had a playful back-and-forth, mimicking the footsie behavior, which contributed to the tension.

"They used that footage because they didn’t have the footage from the beginning when he was tapping me," she said.

What followed, according to Bruno, was a breakdown in group dynamics, with many contestants opting to disengage from the drama. She specifically noted how this moment became exaggerated in the aftermath, with others commenting on it on social media.

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The DQ and the lost tunnels

Bruno's season also marked another dramatic twist when, in a challenge, she was disqualified. In one intense moment of physically challenging activity, Aviv entered the wrong tunnel and ended up disqualified.

"I took a wrong turn and went a thousand miles in the wrong direction and ended up getting lost in the tunnels," she said describing the situation.

After realizing she was lost, Aviv recalled feeling panic, especially as she began hearing sounds beneath her.

"Eventually I saw light... it felt like a stick on the ground, but I didn’t see anything," she said.

Despite her confusion, she continued to move quickly, making an executive decision to head in a direction that she believed would lead her to the end. Unfortunately, this decision led to her disqualification. The production later showed sticks propped up blocking the tunnel, which Bruno noted may have been creative editing to highlight her mistake.

"We couldn’t see anything in the tunnel... if something was knocked down, you just don’t know," she explained.

Despite the disqualification, she remained determined to continue, even trying to solve the final puzzle, but was ultimately stopped from doing so.

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The Injury: Plantar fasciitis and recovery

Throughout the season of The Challenge, Aviv struggled with a significant foot injury, diagnosed as plantar fasciitis: inflammation of the tissue at the bottom of the foot. Bruno describes the injury, explaining,

"It started out as plantar fasciitis… One day while I was sprinting, I felt a pop, and then I couldn’t walk at all."

After further medical evaluation, it was discovered that it was not just an injury as they thought; the injury included a fully ruptured fascia with a heel spur causing her pain. Nonetheless, Aviv kept competing in The Challenge and was able to compete by receiving her medical treatment and pushing past her discomfort.

"I was on meds and had to have a cortisone shot after the mini final... it was awful," she said.

Aviv had to wear a boot for three weeks post-season and is still undergoing physical therapy to regain full function of her foot.

"I started running again, so I’m trying to build my distances," she said, though the injury remains a long-term concern.

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Don't miss the drama and excitement of The Challenge: Battle of the Eras! Tune in every Wednesday at 8 PM ET on MTV to catch all the twists, turns, and intense competition.