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Johnny Bananas Devenanzio Clarifies Controversial “Tree” Comment
Reality television personality Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, known for his appearances on The Challenge, is addressing remarks that sparked controversy and accusations of racism. The comments, which appeared to suggest a Black woman resembled someone who “sleeps from a tree upside down,” ignited a social media backlash, prompting Devenanzio to clarify his statement.
Devenanzio Responds to Backlash on Social Media
The Challenge veteran, age 42, took to social media platform X on Friday, April 11, to address the criticism. “Hey morons, I was actually talking about the WHITE girl whose toes were hanging over her shoes, who is literally dressed like a f***ing tree,” Devenanzio wrote in a post aiming to mitigate the escalating controversy. He further dismissed accusations of racist intent, stating, “It’s wild how fast some people can twist a moment into a false narrative.”
Devenanzio continued his defense, asserting, “There’s real racism out there, weaponizing fake outrage for clicks cheapens it.” His remarks followed an appearance on Pop the Balloon Live, several hours prior, where the incident unfolded.
Details of the Initial Remarks
During the Pop the Balloon Live segment, Devenanzio was tasked with choosing an ideal partner “to build a home” from a group of women. He commented on one of the women, stating, “She’s got really good toes,” and added, “You’ve got really pretty toes, [and] you look like you sleep from a tree upside down.”
Following these words, the camera focused on a Black woman present in the lineup, who was wearing a blue, checkered two-piece outfit. She responded to Devenanzio’s comment with a question, “Me? What, are you talking about me?”
Social Media Users Condemn Devenanzio’s Words
Online reactions to Devenanzio’s statements were swift and critical, with many social media users denouncing his words as racist.
- One X user characterized the comment as “racism asf.”
- Another user urged immediate cancellation, writing, “Yea CANCEL THIS S*** RIGHT NOW!”
- A further commentator remarked, “He never misses a chance to be racist.”
Past Accusations of Racism
This is not the first time Devenanzio has faced accusations of racist behavior. Earlier this year, he was previously criticized for a tweet directed at Taylor Hale, a former Big Brother winner who is a woman of color.
Hale, 30, had posted on X in February about Devenanzio’s social media activity, stating, “That yellow fruit man pinned a tweet to his profile at 8AM saying he was looking for engagement, and by 3PM you all gave him exactly what he asked for?” She questioned the public’s reaction, adding, “I don’t want to hear a single word if he somehow pops up on every show in the conversation.”
Devenanzio responded to Hale’s message with a series of emojis, including six banana emojis and a gorilla emoji. Many social media users interpreted this response as offensive and racially insensitive. However, Devenanzio refuted these accusations, claiming that a marketing firm had gained access to his account to promote a meme coin launch and were responsible for the tweet.
Devenanzio’s Explanation Regarding Previous Tweet
Speaking with Variety, Devenanzio explained the situation, “I went back and forth with this company for a few days, putting tweets together that I approved being posted from my social media accounts.” He clarified, “What I did not approve was them to go rogue and start responding to others. “There are certain emojis that are symbolic of different things in the crypto world, one being the guerrilla emoji, one being the ape emoji. They symbolize strength, symbolize going in full force. Basically, they made the ill-advised move to tweet one of these emojis at Taylor. So, immediate action was taken.”
Devenanzio emphasized his concern over the incident, adding, “I do not take this situation lightly at all. As soon as I was made aware of what happened, I reached out to Taylor because my main concern was making sure that she had as much clarity as she could have… I wanted to make sure she knew the truth.”
Taylor Hale’s Perspective
In her own discussion with Variety, Hale indicated a degree of understanding, stating that she “did not believe the intent of the tweet to be racist.”