Johnny Bananas’ Love Life: Every “The Challenge” Showmance Revisisted

Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio has built a reputation as one of MTV’s most legendary competitors on “The Challenge.” Alongside his seven championship wins, he’s also made headlines for his dating life, with multiple showmances and relationships unfolding on and off screen. From brief flings with fellow cast members to long-term romances, Bananas’ love life has often been as dramatic as the challenges themselves.

Johnny Bananas and Dee Valladares on Season 41

Bananas’ latest romance is with “Survivor” winner Dee Valladares during “The Challenge: Vets and New Threats.” Their connection became a central storyline early in the season, with costar Will Gagnon struggling to watch his former fling with Dee shift toward Bananas.

“I’m single, but Dee and I used to hook up so it’s a little hard to see Bananas and Dee,” Will admitted during the August 6 episode. “It was more of a hook-up situation so you got to move on. We’re not here for a love story. We’re here to win ‘The Challenge.’”

Bananas, however, didn’t seem concerned about the criticism. “Usually showmances are a bad idea,” he said on the episode. “But I think this is a good idea.” Dee echoed the sentiment, brushing off the drama: “Will is being a little bit aggressive and honestly I’m living for it. I never said or did anything for Will to believe we are together. … I’m playing my own game. I got to make my own moves.”

In an interview with Us Weekly before season 41 premiered, Bananas teased that sparks might fly. “[Dee] and I vibed right away,” he shared on July 29. “It is not the first time I met her. We’d met previously at the finale party for season 40, and we kind of hit it off there.”

Revisiting the 7-Time Champ’s Past Showmances

Bananas’ connection with Dee comes after his fling with Moriah Jadea during “The Challenge: Ride or Dies.” Although the two never made things official, their relationship lingered into season 39, where Moriah revealed she didn’t want to embarrass Bananas after moving on with James Lock from “The Challenge: UK.” Even months later, Moriah tweeted, “Apparently this man cannot stop talking about me to EVERYONE. I thought you didn’t care,” suggesting Bananas wasn’t quite over their bond.

Earlier in his career, Bananas briefly dated Natalie Negrotti during “The Challenge: Vendettas.” Their short-lived romance kept fans speculating when Natalie posted a cryptic TikTok about traveling for a man, sparking rumors that Bananas was still in the picture.

One of Bananas’ most serious relationships was with “Big Brother” winner Morgan Willett. The pair dated for two years before calling it quits in 2021. While Morgan confirmed the breakup in a statement to Us Weekly, Bananas later admitted on his podcast “Death, Taxes and Bananas” that he still thought about her. “Not a day, not an hour goes by” without missing her, he shared.

From Casey to Camila: Johnny Bananas Has a Long History

Bananas’ dating timeline dates back to his early MTV days, according to Yahoo Entertainment. In 2006, he briefly dated Casey Cooper during “Fresh Meat.” Four years later, he started a relationship with Camila Nakagawa that lasted until 2011. That same year, he was linked to both Nany González and Trisha Cummings, with Nany later becoming one of his closest allies on the show.

Between 2012 and 2017, Bananas had a long-term relationship with Olympic snowboarder Hannah Teter, marking one of his most steady romances outside of reality TV. After that split, he had quick connections with Kayleigh Morris, Angela Babicz, and Melissa Reeves before settling into his relationship with Morgan.