The newest episode of Special Forces featured three surprise exits — and one of the recruits is speaking out about feeling uncomfortable before their time came to an end.
During the Thursday, October 29, episode of the show, Bre Tiesi said she felt “uncomfortable” after Matt Barnes and David Charvet ended up trapped in a jungle. Their near-death experience caused major concern for Tiesi, who chose to voluntarily withdraw that same night.
Oliver Hudson was the next to go after several unsuccessful challenges caused him to question whether he had anything left to prove to himself. Maxim Naumov, meanwhile, had to medically withdraw after hurting his ankle.
Tiesi, 35, spoke exclusively to Us about the events that led to her decision, saying, “Personally, just knowing the level of paperwork and the things that we entered into, I went in feeling nervous about that. Because I am a mother, I am responsible to be here to raise my child. Even in the safest situations where you know they’ve done everything they can do, there are stunt people that die, and there are people that have life-changing injuries.”
The Selling Sunset star, who shares 4-year-old son Legendary with Nick Cannon, chose to prioritize herself.
“Especially in the height [challenge], that one really started to be the background noise in my brain. That was just a little bit much for me. When we got to that last challenge in the jungle, to see Matt and David in shambles — especially when you’ve grown so close to these people and we spend so much time together,” she recalled. “They are not OK. So I was not OK with this.”
Tiesi considered it her “breaking point,” adding, “If I didn’t have my son, I don’t think I would have been as sensitive to it. Also knowing that I also did have to film in about a week and a half to two weeks when I returned from that show — I was filming Selling Sunset, and they were very much like, ‘Don’t you dare get hurt!’ So it was a lot of that.”
She continued: “I was like, ‘Is this my ego? Am I making the right decision just to prove that I can do this?’ I didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, and I think that’s just kind of where I ended up.”
Tiesi admitted she did have “an immense amount of regret” that she didn’t sleep on the decision.
“Because I felt like my attitude and my ego typically gets the best of me. I think this was one of those moments, and if I would have slept on it and woke up and made that decision, I would have felt better about it,” she noted. “I think it’s just everything compounded.”
Despite not making it to the end, Tiesi learned a lot about Special Forces.
“I do think that [the] majority of the people who make it to the end have a lot of support throughout this journey,” she told Us. “I do think that is one of the secrets, for sure. It’s usually the people like me with the bigger attitudes or the egos or whatever that get involved. That’s honestly the biggest thing that takes you out.”
Tiesi also revealed the first things she did when she left the experience, saying, “We went straight to hotel room. I took a shower for an hour. I don’t even know how long I was in there. I just laid on the floor. I scrubbed my face, and I used all of my beauty, skin and hair products. Like, I went to town on self-care.”
She added: “I just laid in that bed until I had my flight. First thing I had was probably a glass of wine, and then I got back and I went straight to Nobu with Nick. I actually celebrated my birthday there. So I was just really happy to be home — face fungus and all.”
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 5 airs on Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
