The Real Reason Cory Wharton Was Kicked Off The Challenge

"The Challenge" is a reality competition show that has been airing on MTV since the late '90s. It's the perfect melting pot of reality TV — take people that viewers already know and love (or love to hate), make them compete for money and prizes, and reap profits off of all the drama. Many cast members come from other MTV shows like "The Real World" and "Are You The One," but they also feature people who have never been on reality TV before, popular public figures from across the pond, and short appearances from other celebrities.

But within the entire cast of the show, one of its more controversial characters is Cory Wharton. He got his foot in the door with "The Challenge" thanks to his previous reality TV appearances in "Teen Mom OG" and "The Real World." But his time on "The Challenge" has always been fraught with the kind of drama that producers drool over and viewers can't help but watch. Unfortunately for his fans, Wharton recently made a big announcement about why he won't be coming back for future seasons — but circumstances behind his departure have some scratching their heads. 

Back in September, Wharton tweeted — and deleted — the news of his departure from "The Challenge." The text read, "No challenge reunion for me, they said due to my vaccination status. They are really strong arming ppl now a days. Smh." Naturally, fans were upset to learn that he refuses to get vaccinated, especially considering that his oldest daughter, Ryder, has a fatty acid oxidation disorder which makes her more vulnerable to infections and viruses like COVID-19 (via Patient Worthy).

However, more recently in November, Wharton announced on Instagram that he was leaving the show at the behest of his daughter. The caption on the post detailed how Ryder blew on a dandelion and wished that he wouldn't go back to the show, which Wharton stated led him to decide to leave "The Challenge." But Wharton also expressed how "very thankful" he was for his time on "The Challenge" and the opportunities that it offered him.

As is generally the case with situations like this, it's hard to say whether Wharton's genuinely leaving "The Challenge" to become Super Dad, or because he butted heads with producers behind the scenes about refusing the vaccine. Regardless, here's hoping there's more truth than fiction behind his Instagram post, and that Wharton gets to "create those memories with [his] family and [his] daughters."