Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio and Morgan Willett’s Relationship Timeline: From ‘The Challenge’ and Beyond

Credit: Courtesy of Morgan Willett/Instagram

Johnny 'Bananas' Devenanzio and Morgan Willett's Relationship Timeline: From 'The Challenge' and Beyond

A journey that began on The Challenge. Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio and Morgan Willett have been through a whirlwind romance — and it all started on reality TV. The duo first met in fall 2018 when the Big Brother: Over the Top winner joined her first — and only — season of The Challenge. The pair quickly became partners during season 33, War of the Worlds, but didn't last long on the show, being eliminated third. Afterward, they decided to travel the world together and quickly raised eyebrows about whether or not they were dating. “I’m very happy where I am in my life,” she slyly told Us Weekly exclusively in April 2019. “Obviously, we’re taking it day by day. We see each other. Will you see more travel videos from us? I don’t know, maybe. I don’t know. It’s interesting, and I just ironically saw an article from MTV where they put out, ‘Are Morgan and Bananas canoodling?’ I hate the word ‘canoodling.’ I feel like that implies a hook up or a fling, and that’s just one thing I do wanna address is, I don’t consider myself a hook up. I’ve had a lot of people on social media reach out to me and say, ‘You know, you’re just hooking up with him to get on the next show,’ and that couldn’t be further from the truth.” [jwplayer lTV5xtMK-zhNYySv2] In September 2019, the Challenge vet chose not to divulge any details about their romance. "I have my personal life and I have my Challenge life,” he told Us at the time. Two months later, he shared his first Instagram photo with Willett. By January 2020, the Celebrity Sleepover host was being much more open about the romance. “When she first met me, she said, ‘You are not who I expected you to be off the show.’ When I’m home, when I’m not filming, I’m home. I have my house that I grew up in. I’m still incredibly close to my family, my sister, my mom,” he shared during an episode of the “Quarter Life Crisis” podcast. “Having a very normal home life helps but also, I disconnect from reality TV. When I’m off The Challenge, I’m not one that wants to be involved in the drama year-round because you need that break." Unfortunately, the pair called it quits in September 2021. Scroll down for a full timeline: [podcast_block]

Credit: MTV

2018

The duo first met while filming The Challenge: War of the Worlds between October and December 2018. The season aired in February 2019.

Credit: Courtesy of Instagram/Morgan Willett

2019

Beginning in February 2019, the pair began sharing photos from "#adventuresofbanorgan," as they traveled the world together after their time on The Challenge. "I think what a lot of people don’t realize is we traveled the world, just him and I, for two weeks," she told Us Weekly exclusively in April. "So whenever you do that, you get really close with someone. You get to know them on a more personal level, and I will also say it was so refreshing to get to know a person not in the reality TV world."

Credit: Courtesy of Morgan Willett/Instagram

2019

The Ex on the Beach alum celebrated a year with the seven-time Challenge champ in November 2019. "But... how on earth has it already been a year?!" she wrote via Instagram. "#LostFiles #TakeMeBack."

Credit: Courtesy of Instagram/Johnny Banans

2020

The Worst Cooks in America alum posted his first photo with Willett via Instagram in January.

Credit: Courtesy of Johnny Bananas/Instagram

2020

The couple celebrated Valentine's Day together one month later, with him writing via Instagram, "You're fine and you're mine and you look so divine."

Credit: Courtesy of Morgan Willett/Instagram

2020

"Happy birthday to my favorite guy in the whole 🌍 and the biggest pain in my 🍑," Willett captioned a slideshow of photos of the pair in June. "Thanks for always putting up with my selfies & stealing my matching workout sets."

Credit: Courtesy of Johnny Bananas/Instagram

2021

"Been a hell of a year, couldn't have done it without you! Happy Birthday Morghanimal," the Real World alum wrote via Instagram in May. "27 has never looked so good."

Credit: Courtesy of Johnny Bananas/Instagram

2021

One month later, they celebrated his birthday together and Willett shared a video montage of their best moments. "I truly cannot wait to see what great things this year has in store for you. Another year older… another year of throwing exercise balls at my head," she wrote.

Credit: Courtesy of Morgan Willett/Instagram

2021

In September 2021, Us confirmed the duo had split after nearly two years together. “I’ve always tried my best to be an open book and after seeing everything circulate over the internet, I felt like I should let you all know that Johnny and I are no longer together,” she wrote in a statement on September 27. “While I feel heartbroken, I’m thankful to know the truth. Johnny is someone I loved & respected very much and so I will be taking some time to heal and process it all. Thank you to everyone for the support and when I’m ready to share more, I will. For now, I’m just focused on spending time with my family.”

The First Look host also released a statement, adding, "My thing is I put a lot of my private life out there for everyone to see. I’ve always been an open book when it comes to pretty much every aspect of my life, but in a situation like this. This is something I’m really going to keep close to the cuff. I think we’re both really going through it right now and I wish her all the best and I’ll just leave it at that."

Credit: Courtesy of Morgan Willett/Instagram

2021

One week after their split news broke, Willett claimed that Devenanzio cheated. “The person I truly loved more than anything else cheated on me and I found out and I had to leave. I don’t know what else to say but I physically hurt,” she wrote via Instagram. “I have been able to distract myself with beautiful beaches and hikes and my amazing family, but now I have to go back to reality. And if I’m being honest, I’m scared. I don’t know when I’ll stop hurting? When will I stop missing someone? What if I never stop replaying things in my head? When do I become angry?? I don’t want to live my life angry.”