Warning: This story contains spoilers from the Tuesday, January 23, episode of The Challenge: Vendettas.
Did Alicia Lavida and Cory Wharton’s relationship survive the drama of The Challenge: Vendettas? The couple were both eliminated from the game early, only to go home to bigger news: Cory found out shortly after The Challenge that he had a daughter with his ex-fling, Cheyenne Floyd.
When Alicia was sent home, she quickly was packing her bags again. “I waited two weeks because I got injured, and then I literally packed a bunch of s—t, took a flight and we were together,” the 25-year-old told Us Weekly exclusively about her post-Challenge relationship.
So are they together now? “Eh,” she says, playing coy. “Unfortunately, I had somebody in my family pass and so did he, and I think we both kind of felt like … this is a reason for us to reach out and be there for each other. Every time we would try to close the door, something would come up. So, I mean, I would say right now we are complicated friends.”
As for Cory’s new life as a father, Alicia confirms they were together when he found out about Ryder.
“We both cried together on the freeway. It was very shocking, especially because we had built this foundation of ‘Let’s see what we can do.’ Then this came up,” the Are You the One? vet explained. “I was very supportive. We went to Target together and bought stuff for her. I was there for him, and I wanted them to know, ‘This doesn’t change anything.’ He was really happy that I was there for him and by his side. I think he still hasn’t figured out how to be a dad and be himself, without feeling like a part of him was not himself anymore.”
Although their status is “complicated friends,” Alicia has not moved on to anyone else. “After everything that went on, I just wanted to be by myself and get my s—t together,” she added. “I had no intention in trying to talk and date anybody else.”
The reality star also pointed out that the show was much more stressful than she had imagined, and she’s not sure that she’d return to do another. “With other things that have happened afterward, going back into it with other people that know all of your business is kind of rough,” she said. “But if I have somebody on my side, again, like I did in this one, I would do it again.”
The Challenge: Vendettas airs on MTV Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
