Why did Natalie Anderson leave The Challenge season 36? She explains
Now, though, the former Survivor and The Amazing Race star is speaking out about her exit, and it is all the more understandable why things happened the way that they did. It speaks to a heartbreaking chapter of Natalie’s life that emerged after the show, and it is something that she explains further in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly:
I found out I was pregnant while I was out there … Even though I had to leave the show, this was a new journey for me with my boyfriend, Devin [Perez], and I was 100 percent comfortable moving forward with him in this decision. But in the end it wasn’t my decision. I ended up having a miscarriage.”
Natalie goes on in the interview to explain that she was eight weeks pregnant when she departed the MTV series, and she processed that exit (she is known for her competitive nature, so that part of the journey may have been hard) with the big news that she was pregnant, only to have a devastating loss follow it up after the fact. As you would imagine, there is a lot that she has processed behind the scenes for a long time now, ever since her exit from the show happened in real-time.
To go along with her aforementioned comments, Anderson explained why she’s choosing to open up about her story now:
“I don’t want women to suffer. I know people that have suffered for so long trying to let go after something like this, so I just hope that I can help anybody with this story … And to help myself through it too, just talking about it and sharing my story, since it helps me as well. If I can help even a few fans and women out there, it’s a win-win.”
We’ve made it to secret that we love Natalie, and we say that as someone who’s watched her on just about every reality show she’s been a part of it. Yet, in the end we have to recognize that people on reality shows are just that: People. They’re not soundbite-machines there for our entertainment. What Natalie has gone through is something that is so personal and emotionally painful, and it is not an easy thing to share, regardless of if she is used to sharing other parts of her life on TV. We commend her for her bravery in speaking out, and if she ever does choose to return to reality TV, we’ll be very much excited to see her. (Photo: MTV.)