The Challenge’s Nelson Thomas recently appeared in a live video with castmate Nany Gonzalez to address the lack of support following his car wreck and DWI last year.
As previously reported, Nelson’s car accident resulted in a severe injury to his foot, and he recently had part of his leg amputated.
A superfan account shared parts of his Instagram Live chat with Nany, in which he discussed concerns regarding cast members’ post-reality TV insurance situation.
“They give us insurance, but what do we do after? How do I retire? Are you gonna give me a job? Is there an office job waiting for me,” he asked in part of his video.
Nany then asked if Bunim Murray Productions (BMP) had reached out to provide any assistance following his crash and injury situation.
“They didn’t,” Nelson said, adding, “What I expected is them to reach out and say, ‘How can we help you?’ But you know, when the whole DWI thing came out, a lot of people turned their backs on me.”
Nelson says he was ‘really hurt’ by critics’ comments
While speaking to Nany, Nelson admitted he had been “fighting for [his] life in the hospital” and began turning to social media for support, motivation, and positivity. However, he said once the DWI details came out, it led to a harsh dose of reality for him.
“Everyone just turned their back on me. Like I’m supposed to be this perfect guy. Like I can’t make mistakes and that hurt me the most. That really, really hurt me,” he said.
“I’m not here bashing on MTV or BMP. We’re very blessed to have that platform and I understand this is a business at the end of the day. I don’t know if they just didn’t want to reach out because of everything that was going on,” he said.
Nelson said a “sad part” of his situation was that many websites published articles about it and never asked him for his side of the story.
He also referred to an unspecified publication that took a picture of him at the beach in Mexico with his mom. He mentioned he’d had a drink, and it was around the time he was trying stem cell therapy treatments for his injury.
Nelson said they posted the photo with the caption “MTV star Nelson drunk at the beach” or something similar. When he emailed them to take down the picture because of its negative impact, they told him to “Pay us.”
Nelson clarifies his IG Live remarks about BMP and MTV
Taking to Twitter, Nelson posted additional comments about his recent IG Live session, specifically addressing BMP and MTV.
Another superfan account on Instagram shared a photo with a collection of Nelson’s remarks.
“Naturally I would have loved more support from MTV and BMP regarding my insurance, as anyone would,” he said in part of one tweet.
Nelson said he’s “dedicated a significant portion” of his life to MTV, and “it’s crucial to recognize the business aspect.”
“I understand they were limited to what they could have done for me legally,” he said, referring to his DWI, resulting injuries, and medical expenses.
He indicated he is grateful for the “platform” that MTV has given him, adding, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support so I extend my gratitude to MTV and BMP.”
After debuting on MTV’s Are You the One? 3, Nelson appeared on the network in nine seasons of The Challenge. He last appeared in the Paramount+ spin-off The Challenge: World Championship.
Per his Fandom Wiki page, Nelson appeared in two finals on the show and has won $36,250 in prize money. That’s in addition to weekly pay during each Challenge season he appeared on. That varies depending on the cast member and their length of stay for filming.
As of this writing, it’s unclear what Nelson’s contract situation with MTV was before his car wreck and injury and whether he’d been contacted or considered to appear on other Challenge seasons.
Monsters and Critics previously reported about Nelson’s DWI arrest, which may have left some individuals outraged as he’d previously promoted a GoFundMe campaign his friend set up to assist with his medical bills.
He later shared an update about how he made a mistake and revealed he refunded money to those who’d donated and requested a refund.
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I never liked Nelson. It sucks that he had to have part of his leg amputated, but at the end of the day, he was the one who drove drunk. Now he has to deal with the aftermath. He needs to stop whining (even though that’s all he’s done on The Challange), and grow a pair. As for MTV and BMP, it is not their responsibility to financially support him, after his DWI