Diem Brown: True Fighter

[luckyroll3]

She definitely wasn't one of my favorite cast members, but it was tough to read about her struggles with this, especially since we are the same age.  I always dreaded clicking on this forum link because I didn't want it to be the day that it was the bad news.  RIP Diem.

 

Her first kiss with CT.

 

Realizing she couldn't wear her wig in a challenge involving mud, and everyone's support when she exposed her bald head.

 

Both really awesome and beautiful moments, especially when CT slid the bandana or whatever she had on her head off and they were on a bluff or hilltop or something.

[MissMel]

Grab a tissue: http://www.mtv.com/news/1998381/diem-brown-mtv-family-tweet-reactions/ Cast remembering Diem (lots of pictures)

[truthaboutluv]

I was just coming in to post that many of the cast members from the Challenges have been posting really beautiful messages on social media about her. I really feel for people like Johnny, Paula, Evan, Wes, etc. all the ones who've been around long enough that they personally knew her since the Fresh Meat days. Johnny for example, I remember reading that Diem said in an interview, that when her ovarian cancer came back the second time, he would come to see her and sometimes help her with administering her shots and other hormones she was taking when the cancer went back into remission. 

Edited November 15, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[dangwoodchucks]

 Powering up the mountain of snow barely out of breath, while CT is wheezing and collapsing.

 

She was never one of my favorites either, but her performance in the Exes final really impressed me, as did her last challenge appearance after having fought ovarian cancer for the second time. She was a true fighter for sure. RIP

 

[choclatechip45]

I think Exes was my favorite appearance by her. I wasn't a huge Diem fan, but she really impressed me that Challenge with her performance and  the way she dealt with CT.

[atlanticslide]

How incredibly sad. It's good to know that she was with her family and loved ones, and that she had so much support during this time. She wasn't always my favorite Challenge castmember - sometimes I liked her, sometimes I didn't, but I did always enjoy seeing her on the show and I also really liked her appearance on Exes - she seemed really chill and supportive on that season, despite CT flaming out, and it was nice to see them work so well together. Whatever one might be able to say about her as a reality star, good for her for going for it - her life may have been way too short, but she clearly packed a lot of experiences in and got to do some cool, weird, funny things, see some amazing places, fall in love, form strong friendships, etc etc etc.

[Craphole Island]

Rest in peace Diem. A fighter til the very end.

 

And yes, now I'm crying reading all those tributes to her from the other challengers. Why do I do this to myself!!

Edited November 15, 2014 by Craphole Island

[Maharincess]

I made the mistake of reading them too. Then texted my daughter and had her read them.

It seems like she loved to dance. I wish they'd shown more of that. It seems like a big passion of hers.

This has made me feel much sadder than I expected. Just thinking of somebody so young fighting this bitch of a disease 3 times over 9 years is just heartbreaking.

She was only 2 years older than my daughter.

This has really made me count my blessings and realize how lucky I am. I feel bad for all of the insignificant crap I've complained about. In the end, nothing matters but our good health and that of our loved ones.

I'm an atheist and honestly its stuff like this that reinforces that choice to me. That being said, I got chills reading that she asked her friends to help her get into prayer position right before she passed.

I hope her faith was a comfort to her at the end and I hope her afterlife is everything she ever dreamed.

She deserves that.

RIP Diem.

Edited November 16, 2014 by Maharincess

[Craphole Island]

Another touching tribute, from Wes's facebook page:

 

"Thank you to everyone. It's been a tough day. I took this one pretty hard; but she'd want me to get back to kicking ass tomorrow - so that's what I shall do. She was my sister and role model. We traveled the world together. We've filmed six full-length television shows together, each in a different part of the world. This doesn't count speeches we've made together, appearances, reunions, and random gigs across the country. We've been blindfolded together(multiple times), strung up above skyscrapers (multiple times), jumped off cliffs, swam out of swamps, and and politic'd our way out of corners. She has always been in my personal and professional alliance. I'm grateful I will have her watching over my business, and I'm grateful that she'll be watching over our family as we all continue to build our own independent lives. I always selfishly looked at her as my role model, but it's been obvious over the last decade that she wasn't just my role model - she was the world's. I love you Diem Brown, rest in peace."

Edited November 16, 2014 by Craphole Island

[Remlab]

 How did she manage to get treated for cancer 3 times?  Usually would exhaust most insurance policy and what kind of insurance could she had if she didn't work regularly and had to repeatedly get cancer treatments?

I have chronic leukemia, and my shitty insurance (United Healthcare) still pays $9,000 a month for my medication. There is no lifetime cap on cancer treatments as far as I know.

[KerleyQ]

That post by Wes, much like all of the stuff I'd already read from other cast members, made me tear up. 

 

I know I don't know these people at all or anything, but I'm seriously worried about CT right now.  I hope he has a lot of loved ones around him, helping him to not go down the dark path he traveled after he lost his brother.    As weird as this sounds, when I saw the tweet from Diem that her doctors were given up, I half expected that we might hear she and CT had a quickie hospital chapel wedding.  

[RedheadZombie]

Where they in the middle of filming when Diem became ill this last time?  If so, I wonder what they'll show.

[truthaboutluv]

From my understanding, filming had just started. I think she started feeling really ill during the first competition and later collapsed. A lot of people are discussing what they will show, if anything and some are even wondering if they'll even show the season. Remember when the Shane guy from that other reality show passed away, they scrapped the entire season they had filmed and shut down production. And my understanding was that when he died, filming was not going on. It is a rather delicate situation. I also wonder how much the cast were even told while they continued with filming. I'm going to assume not a lot or at least not how bad things were. 

 

eta: As for CT, understandably, doesn't sound like he's doing so well. So far, the only word on him has come from friends and family members posting messages on their social media asking people to pray for him. A few Challenge people I assume he's not that close to, have reached out to him through social media because understandably, doesn't sound like he's ready to talk to anyone.

Edited November 16, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Dirndl]

I have never posted on here before but I loved watching Diem on the show and followed her passionate fight against cancer closely. She was such a strong person and I hope she knew how many people were inspired by her love for life and her story. I am so unbelievably sad that she isn't here anymore and my heart goes out to her family, friends and CT. Diem and CT have been one of my favorite TV couples ever and I don't even want to think about what he is going through now. On another board posts from CT's friends and family about Diem's death were linked and seeing the pics and reading about their relationship made me tear up. I really believe they were "it".

[Maharincess]

I know this is probably stupid and maybe a little selfish of me but, I couldn't sleep last night and was lying here thinking of Diem.

She was an active, in shape young woman who did nothing to get this disease.

I'm a smoker. The more I thought about it, it just didn't seem fair to me that I've been smoking for all of these years and I'm healthy but Diem has died through no fault of her own.

It actually made me feel guilty.

I got out of bed at 3 am, went outside, opened my packs of cigarettes and smashed every damn one. I'm done. I've now gone 12 hours without one. That's the longest I've gone without a cigarette in many many years. I went out this morning and got some patches and a few other things to help me along.

Its so stupid of me to do something I know can kill me when there are so many innocent people dying through no fault of their own.

Thank you Diem.

[Lantern7]

*hugging Maharincess, just because*

 

Anybody else having trouble relating to the mainstay Challengers as human beings? With their reactions to Diem's passing, I might have to see them as more than one-dimensional people from now on.

[atlanticslide]

re: How they'll deal with this on or around the show, I've been wondering that too. It's obviously not important in the grand scheme of things, but I have to admit I'm curious. I wonder if perhaps, since she lefts so close to the beginning, that they would just start things over, but I imagine her being so clearly ill right from when she collapsed would cast a pall over the whole season, especially considering how close many of the castmembers were with her. Even TJ posted something about her on Twitter and Instagram.

[Maharincess]

Thank you Lantern.

I understand what you mean about the challengers. Reading some of their words about Diem make them all seem more human (for lack of a better word).

Wes saying she's watching over his business was a little odd to me though.

Has there been any word from CT? I hope this doesn't send him over the edge. No matter what they said or did on the Challenges, you could always see how much he loved her.

Thanks again Lantern, I needed that hug.

This has effected me so much more than I expected. I hope she's at peace now.

Are her parents still alive? My heart goes out to them.

[londonfroglet]

That's lovely, Maharincess.  I don't think there's any better way to respect the loss of someone's life than to live every day doing everything you can to respect and hold onto your own.  

 

Like a lot of you, I actually said, "Ohhh..." out loud at work when I caught the headline.  I loved CT & Diem together and that was rekindled on Battle of the Exes especially.  My favorite memory of the two of them was that night they had to share the tent in the cold.  I don't remember it word for word, but CT said something about giving her the Titanic and then struck Kate Winslet's pose, and she just lost it.  She was fantastic on that challenge and their chemistry was something to behold.  I also found it weirdly endearing (in that I was surprised by how endearing I found it) that she repeatedly called him Chris throughout the final climb.  After that challenge (or the last one, I can't recall), I found myself really, really, really hoping they'd end up together again.  

 

Anyway, nothing else to say besides how sorry I am to hear of her death and of the loss that her friends, family, and CT have experienced.  

[jsm1125]

Thank you Lantern.

I understand what you mean about the challengers. Reading some of their words about Diem make them all seem more human (for lack of a better word).

Wes saying she's watching over his business was a little odd to me though.

Has there been any word from CT? I hope this doesn't send him over the edge. No matter what they said or did on the Challenges, you could always see how much he loved her.

Thanks again Lantern, I needed that hug.

This has effected me so much more than I expected. I hope she's at peace now.

Are her parents still alive? My heart goes out to them.

Her mother died when she was a freshman or sophomore in college, though her father is still alive.

 

The news of Diem's death hit me harder than expected. She was one of the few Challengers about whom very few, if any, of her castmates had anything bad to say, and considering that she was on seven Challenges and played with both Old and New Schoolers, that's a huge testament to her legacy and impact.

 

I, like most people, was thoroughly impressed with her performance in the Finals of BOTE.

 

I hope that this doesn't come off the wrong way, but I recall an unintentionally funny memory between Diem and Evan on the Duel II. It was the challenge where the women were to hold on for as long as possible to their male partners' hands while hanging off a very high cliff. Evan jokingly interviewed that he was fine with going into the Duel just so he didn't have to listen to her gibberish and chicken squawking while she was hanging on (and I'm not an Evan fan). Diem wasn't much for heights, so she coped in this case by spitting out commands to Evan in an extremely rapid fashion: "You hold on for 10 more seconds." "Don't you let me go." "You're gonna go into the Duel." It was more amusing than than I'm making it seem. Does anybody else remember this?

Edited November 17, 2014 by jsm1125

[truthaboutluv]

Yeah I remember that and Evan interviewed that in that moment she was like the annoying sister he never wanted to have. 

 

Anybody else having trouble relating to the mainstay Challengers as human beings? With their reactions to Diem's passing, I might have to see them as more than one-dimensional people from now on.

 

 

Well if it makes you feel better, Knight managed to piss people off. Apparently he tweeted out some hours later calling some people, presumably ones from the Challenges, fake (he didn't mention any names) for now acting like they were such good friends with Diem or cared about her now that she's died. I'm guessing many people commented to him that now wasn't the time because he's since deleted it. 

[Lantern7]

Thanks for being a jackass, Knight! I do wonder how Jamie Chung knows Diem, given how her one tour of Challenge duty (Inferno II) took place before Fresh Meat. I guess Jamie stays in contact with the BMP circle, as opposed to fleeing for stardom.

 

And I'm curious as to how BMP will handle Diem's departure. I honestly wouldn't blame them if they took her and CT out of the series. I do expect them to do something clunky and unhealthy no matter what, since it's BMP we're talking about.

 

Has there been any contact information as to where to send condolences? Or to get in touch with CT? I confess that I'm worried about the lunk myself, given his history with Diem.

[Bob Sambob]

 

And I'm curious as to how BMP will handle Diem's departure. I honestly wouldn't blame them if they took her and CT out of the series. I do expect them to do something clunky and unhealthy no matter what, since it's BMP we're talking about.

 

See, I couldn't disagree more. I see Murray getting personally involved in this and making Diem this generation's Pedro. I bet the first episode of the season will be a Diem tribute episode with her sweetest moments, cast testimonials, and finally an informercial for the foundation she started. I'm just not that cynical, I guess, which is admittedly strange gIven all the fiascoes of the last couple years.

 

But I've never been more confident that they'll do the right thing here. They won't show her collapsing. It'll be recapped through some sort of talking-head montage (bad example, but it'll be like the way they did Brynn throwing the fork at Steven ... we won't see it, we'll just hear about in the least dramatic way possible, and then they'll segue into memories and tributes). I believe it. Because if they don't? Well ... that might be my line.

 

Anybody else having trouble relating to the mainstay Challengers as human beings? With their reactions to Diem's passing, I might have to see them as more than one-dimensional people from now on.

 

Which brings me to my next point: I can't see the CAST allowing BMP/MTV to hype this up for drama. They loved her. They'd revolt. I believe it more and more as I see the Twitter/Instagram tributes rolling in.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Bob Sambob

[Craphole Island]

Yeah, BMP doesn't always have the best track record, but I have a feeling they will handle this with class. I'd love to see some sort of tribute. According to V1Man on Vevmo (who I believe was/is Beth's manager), they contacted over 100 of RW/RR/FM alumni and asked if they wished to tribute Diem in some way on the website, or in another way I imagine.

 

It's really disappointing seeing and hearing all the comments from fans trashing challengers for their messages. Apparently twitter was blowing up with people basing Averey and Nany for posting things and sending their love to CT/about Diem, and even trashing people like Wes and CT, who were as close to Diem as you can get (clearly in CT's case.) I get that somebody like Averey may not have been personally close to Diem, but I it's clear she meant a lot to the whole Challenge community, and Averey and CT both live in Boston so it's entirely possible she and Diem have crossed paths (I think Averey may have been on this most recent challenge where Diem collapsed as well.) I mean, Cooke and Diem did not have a good relationship at all and she posted about it as well, and I say good on her.

[Bob Sambob]

Yeah, I saw the one to Averey and it was disgusting and actually kinda pissed me off (Internet muscles are VERY lame and always rub me the wrong way). It's gone now, but it was classless and, if the profile photo is to be believed, it looked like a tween girl posted it. Something like "Shut the fuck up, bitch, You didn't even fucking know her. Just worry about your ugly fucking dog" or something like that (yes, the profanity is theirs, not mine).

 

ETA: Turns out the profanity WAS mine. But yeah, that's pretty much what the girl said.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Bob Sambob

[Lantern7]

Damn. And I think of myself as a hater. Who'd go after Daisy like that? I'd even give somebody like Nia a pass on showing support, and I think of her as a gold digging bitch most of the time. 

 

Has there been any indication as to when MTV would do a tribute? I would think they'd do it soon, as opposed to wait until the Challenge airs. It's not as if any of their programming would suffer for it, right?

[Maharincess]

Yeah, BMP doesn't always have the best track record, but I have a feeling they will handle this with class. I'd love to see some sort of tribute. According to V1Man on Vevmo (who I believe was/is Beth's manager), they contacted over 100 of RW/RR/FM alumni and asked if they wished to tribute Diem in some way on the website, or in another way I imagine.

It's really disappointing seeing and hearing all the comments from fans trashing challengers for their messages. Apparently twitter was blowing up with people basing Averey and Nany for posting things and sending their love to CT/about Diem, and even trashing people like Wes and CT, who were as close to Diem as you can get (clearly in CT's case.) I get that somebody like Averey may not have been personally close to Diem, but I it's clear she meant a lot to the whole Challenge community, and Averey and CT both live in Boston so it's entirely possible she and Diem have crossed paths (I think Averey may have been on this most recent challenge where Diem collapsed as well.) I mean, Cooke and Diem did not have a good relationship at all and she posted about it as well, and I say good on her.

That's terrible. People like that take what they see on TV at face value. They think because they only met Diem on TV once, or they fought with her on a Challenge that's all there is to the relationships.

From what I read, these people go a lot of different appearances and things together off camera.

And even if some of the people posting condolences did fight with her or only did on show with her, so what?!

Grief is a very personal thing, nobody should be slammed for their grief or the way they express it.

People really suck sometimes.

[wrestlesflamingos]

I think the best thing for CT, imo, would be to offer him privacy. I worry about him too but he's an adult with more experience grieving than most of us. He'll pop up when he's ready.

[MissMel]

I have chronic leukemia, and my shitty insurance (United Healthcare) still pays $9,000 a month for my medication. There is no lifetime cap on cancer treatments as far as I know.

That's interesting info. I would have never guessed. Thank you for sharing and cyber hugs to you.

I know this is probably stupid and maybe a little selfish of me but, I couldn't sleep last night and was lying here thinking of Diem.

She was an active, in shape young woman who did nothing to get this disease.

I'm a smoker. The more I thought about it, it just didn't seem fair to me that I've been smoking for all of these years and I'm healthy but Diem has died through no fault of her own.

It actually made me feel guilty.

I got out of bed at 3 am, went outside, opened my packs of cigarettes and smashed every damn one. I'm done. I've now gone 12 hours without one. That's the longest I've gone without a cigarette in many many years. I went out this morning and got some patches and a few other things to help me along.

Its so stupid of me to do something I know can kill me when there are so many innocent people dying through no fault of their own.

Thank you Diem.

Thank you for giving me one more reason to quit, too. It's not easy but maybe it will stick this time, for both of us. Hugs.

[Lantern7]

Good luck to you as well, MissMel.

 

I was looking for Skeletons teasers, and I came across this tribute on MTV's YouTube site. You can find reaction tributes as well, with tweets from Paula, Trishelle, Jemmye and Coral. This is how sad things are . . . I don't hate Trishelle. Beth could throw in a few words, and I wouldn't heap abuse on her.

[Empress1]

See, I couldn't disagree more. I see Murray getting personally involved in this and making Diem this generation's Pedro.

Mary-Ellis Bunim died of breast cancer, so I'd guess Murray would indeed "take it personally" and pay tribute to Diem.

Totally agree about letting CT just take the time to grieve - I was still watching the challenges when he was on right after his brother was murdered, and I remember thinking, dude, WHAT are you doing on TV? It was so obvious that he was in the throes of grief and he really needed to be home with his loved ones (which I think he acknowledged afterward). I'd guess he's grieving privately (and hard), as he should.

[KerleyQ]

Mary-Ellis Bunim died of breast cancer, so I'd guess Murray would indeed "take it personally" and pay tribute to Diem.

Totally agree about letting CT just take the time to grieve - I was still watching the challenges when he was on right after his brother was murdered, and I remember thinking, dude, WHAT are you doing on TV? It was so obvious that he was in the throes of grief and he really needed to be home with his loved ones (which I think he acknowledged afterward). I'd guess he's grieving privately (and hard), as he should.

 

Yes, he had no business being on that season right after his brother's death.  He was so messed up.  It was hard to see.  I just really hope his loved ones are rallying around him and helping him through this.  

[Craphole Island]

Vevmo users have posted some more tributes that I have not seen anywhere else. There are tributes/memories from Evelyn, Kimberly, Ibis, Kina, The Miz, Theo Von, Ruthie, Kellyanne, Jenn, Isaac, and Brittini from RW Hollywood.

 

I'll just post the link (I hope that's okay!) These tributes were on page 13 of this thread, but there are more scattered throughout:

 

http://vevmo.com/forums/diem-updates

 

It's pretty special seeing all these familiar faces, past and present, posting their memories and paying their respects to Diem. It seems she truly touched everybody and I think that's a true testament to her character.

[Maharincess]

That's interesting info. I would have never guessed. Thank you for sharing and cyber hugs to you.

Thank you for giving me one more reason to quit, too. It's not easy but maybe it will stick this time, for both of us. Hugs.

PM me if you need some support. Maybe we can help each other through. Sometimes its easier to vent, bitch and complain to a stranger. Edited November 18, 2014 by Maharincess

[Lantern7]

Tributes have also been collected on Stop Being Polite. Word of warning: there's a pic of Diem hooked up to a machine, with CT passed out next to her.

[choclatechip45]

Diem's funeral was today. People Magazine did a nice article http://www.people.com/article/diem-brown-funeral-new-york-city. Did anyone else know Diem's real name was Danielle? I wonder how she received the nickname Diem.

[KerleyQ]

That article lists her age as 34.  I swear I've seen 3 different ages (from 30 to 34) listed for her over the past few days.  I was convinced 32 was right.  

[wrestlesflamingos]

Maybe she fibbed about her age like many other people in entertainment?I thought 32 was correct until today.

Edited November 19, 2014 by wrestlesflamingos
changed tone

[truthaboutluv]

In the comments under the article, someone states that an edit correction was made after the article went up that corrected her age to 32. As far as I know, all the listing of her birthday has 1982 which would have made her 32, not 34.

 

Did anyone else know Diem's real name was Danielle? I wonder how she received the nickname Diem.

 

 

I think it might have been from the combination of her first two initials - Danielle Michelle (DM).

[Maharincess]

I used to babysit a girl named Danielle Michelle. Her last name ended in elle too.

I never knew Diem's name wasn't Diem.

I don't believe in god but I hope that she is resting peacefully and pain free. I hope she finds the health and happiness in her afterlife that she didn't have here.

[wrestlesflamingos]

There's a scene between CT and Diem where she calls him Christopher and he retorts with Danielle. Can't recall which season, I'll go hunt around youtube.

(To those quitting nicotine: ice water. Helped me through numerous awful days.)

[londonfroglet]

 

There's a scene between CT and Diem where she calls him Christopher and he retorts with Danielle. Can't recall which season, I'll go hunt around youtube.

 

I would like to see that.  Someone on the Vevmo board linked above compiled and posted about nineteen videos with the entire history of CT and Diem.  I've started watching them and honestly they've kept me up the past couple of nights.  

 

There is something not just sad, but so deeply unsettling about the fact that her battle was eventually, for lack of a better word, lost.  I don't know if it's Diem's age, her attitude, the simple fact that she was on our screens for eight years showing us exactly who she was, or the opportunity to see chemistry and a relationship of such a palpable and undeniable nature unfold (and fold and unfold again).  The way they looked at each other and spoke of each other, good lord.  

 

I don't know what else to say about CT and Diem because I obviously don't know them and I don't know who they were to each other as the past couple of months passed.  I'd love to believe what we probably all want to believe... I hope that was the case truly.  

 

I wish no regrets for CT.  I hope that he is at peace with the role he played in Diem's life, particularly in the past year or two, I hope he can look back and know that he was present for her in the last couple of months and find peace in that.  I don't know that there's any peace in seeing a fighter like Diem suffer what she did, but it's possible to find peace in your own actions.  

Edited November 19, 2014 by londonfroglet

[choclatechip45]

I'm happy CT & Diem were able to reconcile during the Battle of the Exes. I have no idea if they were together at the end and to be honest I don't really care, but clearly whatever they had was real and went beyond the show. I read on US Weekly that Ace was at the funeral, I think I read somewhere maybe around the original Rivals that Ace & CT hstayed in touch. So hopefully Ace and all of CT's friends and family can help him through this.

[BK1978]

I used to babysit a girl named Danielle Michelle. Her last name ended in elle too.

I never knew Diem's name wasn't Diem.

I don't believe in god but I hope that she is resting peacefully and pain free. I hope she finds the health and happiness in her afterlife that she didn't have here.

 

Same here, I always thought her name was Diem as well. 

[KerleyQ]

I would like to see that.  Someone on the Vevmo board linked above compiled and posted about nineteen videos with the entire history of CT and Diem.  I've started watching them and honestly they've kept me up the past couple of nights.  

 

There is something not just sad, but so deeply unsettling about the fact that her battle was eventually, for lack of a better word, lost.  I don't know if it's Diem's age, her attitude, the simple fact that she was on our screens for eight years showing us exactly who she was, or the opportunity to see chemistry and a relationship of such a palpable and undeniable nature unfold (and fold and unfold again).  The way they looked at each other and spoke of each other, good lord.  

 

I don't know what else to say about CT and Diem because I obviously don't know them and I don't know who they were to each other as the past couple of months passed.  I'd love to believe what we probably all want to believe... I hope that was the case truly.  

 

I wish no regrets for CT.  I hope that he is at peace with the role he played in Diem's life, particularly in the past year or two, I hope he can look back and know that he was present for her in the last couple of months and find peace in that.  I don't know that there's any peace in seeing a fighter like Diem suffer what she did, but it's possible to find peace in your own actions.  

 

I've seen more a lot of comments on articles that friends of the two knew they had been back together for a while.  Grain of salt and all that, but I've seen it in numerous places.  

 

And I agree with you on how they looked at each other and spoke of each other.  Even on that one reunion special (I want to say it was after the season he was tossed for fighting with Adam), when Diem was clearly involved with another guy, I thought to myself that, if I was that guy, after seeing the way she spoke of CT, her body language and facial expressions, I wouldn't feel so secure in that relationship, because she obviously still loved CT, whether she was angry at him or not. 

 

Of course, I don't know think that their relationship was remotely healthy until they did Exes together.   And I don't think it was a coincidence that it came after he did Rivals with Adam (it was after, right?  Otherwise my point is moot).  I think he showed that he'd grown up a lot during that season.  And that maturity may very well have been what Diem was waiting for from him.  

 

That picture of  him at her bedside will forever make me tear up.  Regardless of their relationship status in the time leading up to this last battle, that picture really said it all about the two of them.  It was both beautiful and heartbreaking.  

[truthaboutluv]

Even on that one reunion special (I want to say it was after the season he was tossed for fighting with Adam), when Diem was clearly involved with another guy, I thought to myself that, if I was that guy, after seeing the way she spoke of CT, her body language and facial expressions, I wouldn't feel so secure in that relationship, because she obviously still loved CT, whether she was angry at him or not.

 

 

Yes the reunion where she was adamant that CT owed her an apology for hooking up with Shauvon even though they were broken up and she was the one who left him. However her reasoning was that broken up or not, it was disrespectful to her to hook up with someone else on a challenge while she was there, because she wouldn't do that to him. I remember that she was convinced he did it to deliberately hurt her which was why she was even more hurt.

 

And I remember when they did Exes, she was still holding onto that. And I had always liked Diem but even I was going, "is she still on this." I think what cracked me up was how adamant she still was that he owed her an apology to the point that she told every rookie female during that challenge the story so they could agree with her that yes, CT owed her an apology. 

 

But that's why that's probably my favorite challenge with them because there was so much anger and hurt still there between them and they were able to get past it while competing together. You have to wonder if they would have been able to find their way back to each other if they'd never done it because prior to Exes, they hadn't spoken for over a year or maybe even two. I know Diem stated in the first episode that they weren't social media friends, they didn't talk on the phone and there was clearly a lot of hurt on both their ends. That's why I joked during that season that between Exes and Rivals, MTV was forcing CT to have to work out his issues with people - first forcing him to pair up with Adam and then Diem. 

Edited November 19, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Dev]

Diem passing is truly heartbreaking.  It's clear she was loved by so many people and I'm glad many of them were able to go to her funeral.  Brad Fiorenza posted a cute story on Twitter about Diem trying to make the producers give him and Tori alone time on his birthday - during one of the Challenges.  She just seemed like a loving person. 

 

I actually feel horrible that there were times when I did not particularly enjoy her on these shows.  I realized how petty that was because she never did anything that bad - and maybe she had a right to feel as entitled as she did to catch a bit of a break on these shows.  She'd already been through so much, so in retrospect, I feel bad for being judgmental of her.  My opinion has completely changed on that seeing the complete and utter pain she was in the last few months.  She deserved that break and I understand why she felt she did.  She was lovely and I've particularly been thinking about about how she ran and worked out so hard every single day (that we saw).  What a strong person - I am in awe of her accomplishments and she lived such an important life.   

 

I knew it was bad - but I really was surprised that it all happened so fast.  She only found out in August and now she's gone.  

 

I would love to see that video of the history of CT and Diem if anyone has the link. I'm a huge Challenge fan (watched them all) and CT has always been my favorite so I'm wishing him peace.   I

[scrb]

I dunno, if we watched those seasons again, we'd again see Diem do and say things to make us roll our eyes again.

 

Probably too early to say this but she was no angel on those shows.

Edited November 19, 2014 by scrb

[KerleyQ]

http://instagram.com/p/vlrAYmNTA5/

 

Tears.  

[choclatechip45]

I just read the Instagram post from CT it brought me to tears. I hope he is doing well.