Diem Brown has passed away. The MTV Challenge star died at just 32 years old on Friday, Nov. 14, after a long, brave battle with cancer, Us Weekly can confirm.
Brown kept fighting until her final days, seeking guidance, advice, and a solution on Twitter days before her death.
“I NEED PRAyErs and advice my doctors are seemingly giving up but I won’t & can’t rollover,” she wrote on Tuesday. “Whatever option I have to LIVE I’m grabbing!… Need prayers, advice, support & outreach. No is not an option.”
The reality star was diagnosed with cancer for a third time this past summer, after previously facing the disease in 2006 and 2012. Her prognosis was more serious the third and final time, as the ovarian cancer had spread to her colon and stomach lining.
The gorgeous star had recently started a new chemotherapy plan, and was scheduled to undergo her second of five treatments next Tuesday, Nov. 18. Despite her tough road, Brown stayed positive, opening up to Us Weekly earlier this month about her hopeful future and her perseverance.
“I’ll beat cancer again,” Brown told Us at the time. “I’m a warrior.”
When she wasn’t standing up as a fierce competitor on seven seasons of The Challenge, Brown was making a difference as the founder of MedGift. The charity organization provides a platform for medical patients to create a gift registry so that loved ones can contribute in the best way. Brown’s own MedGift page recently raised $72,000 dollars.
Brown, who was born in June 1982 and grew up in Roswell, Ga., rose to fame in 2006 with her debut appearance on MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat. She was paired with Road Rules: X-Treme‘s Derrick Kosinski, and went on to compete in six more iterations of the competition show. She was a poised and strong competitor, and had an emotional moment on The Duel, when she removed her wig to participate in a challenge.
During her second season of The Challenge, 2006’s The Duel, Brown became close with Real World: Paris alum Chris “CT” Tamburello. Their on-again, off-again relationship was detailed in further seasons of the show, and led to them competing together in 2012’s Battle of the Exes.
Brown was diagnosed with ovarian cancer for the first time at the age of 24, three weeks before The Challenge. She revealed in a shocking moment on Fresh Meat that she was ill. The star went on to receive multiple rounds of chemotherapy to fight the disease, and went into remission in 2006.
Brown revealed in June 2012 that she had been diagnosed for a second time. She expressed her disbelief but planned for perseverance at the time, tweeting, “My doctor just called me and I have Cancer again. Didn’t think ovarian cancer could come back… I know I will be fine I beat Cancer once and I’m going do it again!” she wrote. “I know God has a reason for every speed bump in life and I’m ready.”
It was the same sentiment Brown conveyed after getting her third diagnosis this year. She had gone through rounds of chemo and found herself cancer-free in February 2013.
Her good friend and MTV costar Cara Maria tweeted in reference to Brown’s deteriorating condition on Tuesday afternoon.
“Your health is the most important thing in the world,” she wrote. “If you have it… You have everything. Don’t take it for granted. Be thankful… Count your blessings. Don’t sweat the small stuff. And send love to those who need it.”
The late star is survived by her father, two sisters, and brother.
