In 2024, a social media conflict between The Challenge stars Laurel Stucky and Nicole Zanatta surfaced, reigniting old tensions and bringing up allegations of infidelity. Nicole, who is part of the new season All Stars: Rivals this year, partnered with Melissa Reeves, became a central figure in the online dispute.
During this back-and-forth, Laurel accused Nicole of cheating during their past relationship, a claim that was met with sharp rebuttals. The fallout, which followed their brief reunion on The Challenge: All Stars in 2023, exposed unresolved issues from their previous breakup.
Both women exchanged pointed remarks on social media, shedding light on the difficulties that followed their separation.
The Challenge stars Laurel Stucky and Nicole Zanatta 2024 breakup explored
The start of Laurel Stucky and Nicole Zanatta's relationship
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Laurel and Nicole initially met in 2016 during The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions. Nicole was initially interested in Cara Maria Sorbello but later turned her attention to Laurel, and their relationship started. The relationship did not last for a year, and their breakup was made public in August 2017 when Nicole posted on Instagram,
"Some things aren’t meant to last forever, they’re just there for that time."
The breakup occurred while Nicole was filming The Challenge: Vendettas, and by that point, the distance between them was contributing to the strain on their relationship. Laurel mentioned that they had been fighting "all the time by the end."
Laurel’s allegations of cheating in their past relationship
In 2018, Nicole admitted that she had been “caught chatting with other people on the phone,” acknowledging a breach of trust in her relationship with Laurel. Laurel had previously expressed suspicions about Nicole’s behavior, which led to their breakup.
Then, in 2019, on Ex on the Peak, Laurel openly discussed her concerns, stating that she felt Nicole's actions contributed to their split.
Distance and communication also appeared to influence their relationship, as Laurel had said the relationship had been growing more tense. These outstanding issues continued to influence their interaction, even after they had separated.
Social media conflict between Laurel and Nicole
At the start of 2024, their relationship appeared to take another negative turn after a brief period of reconciliation. Nicole posted a photo with her new partner in a now deleted post on January 2024, writing,
"This is what a healthy relationship looks like."
In response, Laurel commented, hoping Nicole was not "secretly cheating on her too," which led to a back-and-forth exchange. Nicole responded,
“Thank you, she doesn’t have a tendency to get UNHINGED.”
Laurel followed up with a detailed response, referencing an incident involving Nicole and Jakk Maddox’s sister. Laurel stated,
"I’m sorry I walked away with your cellphone in my pocket after I found out you were hooking up with Jakk’s sister at Jakk’s wedding trip in Italy."
This accusation was further supported by Jakk, who posted on his Instagram Story, describing the situation as "worse" than it seemed and labeling Nicole a "rat."
Impact of the social media dispute on their relationship
The argument on social media escalated as both women aired grievances publicly. Laurel’s remarks regarding Nicole’s past actions seemed to highlight unresolved issues from their time together. In the same post made on January 2024, Nicole replied,
"You need to get a life, grow up, and live the rest of your days without trying to ruin mine."
The fallout from this exchange effectively ended any chances of a renewed relationship. Despite their previous efforts to reconnect during The Challenge: All Stars, their social media conflict made it clear that the unresolved issues from their past were still affecting their interactions.
Tune in for new episodes of The Challenge All Stars: Rivals every Wednesday at 8 PM ET on MTV!
