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The Challenge alum, Diem Brown, who previously appeared in seven seasons of the show, passed away in 2014 after battling ovarian cancer. During her time on the MTV show, she was known for her charismatic personality and her competitive nature. While competing in season 13 (The Duel) in 2006, Brown met CT Tamburello and the two soon began dating.
Although the couple had broken up by the time the former contestant passed away, they remained good friends.
CT Tamburello recently took to social media to reminisce about his late girlfriend in a now-deleted post. On Monday, May 1, 2023, the reality star shared a video of himself and Brown, saying that he missed her. He wrote:
"It would be nice to blow out the candles not alone for once."
The reality star then posted another video of his former girlfriend with the caption “#tay.”
The Challenge’s CT Tamburello and Diem Brown met during The Duel in 2006
CT Tamburello and the late Diem Brown met during season 13 of the MTV competitive series and started out as allies. The late cast member had revealed her ovarian cancer diagnosis a year before that, when she was 22 years old.
By the time she started filming The Duel, she had completed a round of chemotherapy and during season 13, rocked various wigs and scarves to cover her head. However, once she did take off her wig, CT thought that she looked like “GI Jane.”
During The Challenge season 13, CT Tamburello revealed to the cameras that he told her that he didn’t want her to hide from him.
He added at the time:
"It’s about her opening herself up to me and being comfortable around me as her."
The two dated on and off for a few years and even competed both with as well as against each other as well. The cast members returned to the show to compete in Gauntlet III as a couple in 2008 but were separated by the time they appeared in The Duel II the following year.
The two then returned in The Challenge: Battle of the Exes, making it to the finals, where they placed second. Diem was set to return to the franchise the following year for Rivals II but was rediagnosed with cancer and had to go through another round of chemo.
During her time on the season, while she and Tamburello were not in a relationship, fans witnessed the two sharing a kiss and admitting to still caring about each other.
The two returned to The Challenge in 2014 for Battle of the Exes II, but Diem collapsed while on set in August and had to leave the show as she complained of stomach ache. CT told the cameras at the time that it crossed his mind that Brown may have more than a stomach ache.
He added:
"And if that’s the case, I’ll leave on the next flight with her, no questions asked."
Diem soon found out that her cancer had returned again, which prevented her from returning to The Challenge. She passed away on November 14, 2014.
The Challenge is currently airing its spin-off, World Championship, on Paramount+ and drops episodes every Wednesday.
