Getty Cara Maria Sorbello attends MTV's "The Challenge: Rivals II" final episode and reunion party
Cara Maria Sorbello has been away from “The Challenge” for a few seasons now but she’s still a very talked about and polarizing figure on the show. Like many longtime “Challenge” stars, Cara Maria has built up a large following over her years competing as fans have seen the ups and downs of her life and “Challenge” career, but she’s also picked up her fair share of critics, especially in her last couple of seasons.
In a recent post on social media, Cara Maria opened up about her time on the show and her growth over the years. “After 10 years of giving my heart and soul to a tv show,” she started, “Your last images of me was a girl burnt out and fed up with the fakeness. I was finally setting boundaries with toxic cast mates and men who found fun in trying to make me and my friends cry. I no longer let myself get bullied (except by math…) …..and i successfully sent my (real life) enemies home time and time again.”
Cara Maria went on to say that the years leading up to “War of the Worlds 2” were filled with manipulating and gaslighting from her co-stars and she would be opening up about it more in the future.
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Cara Maria Spoke About Enduring Abuse in Her Earlier Seasons & Said She Would Open Up More Down the Road
In the caption of Cara Maria’s Instagram post, she added, “The emotional, mental, and physical abuse and gaslighting I fought through those years leading up to that final season runs deeper than any of you could know…. And it hardened me into the protective and cynical armor you all saw me cloaked in towards those final years of competing.” She said:
But that kind hearted spirit you once rooted for (and soooo many of you still do) is still there…. She’s protected in those layers of armor waiting to feel safe to speak her truth again… even if you want to call her The Bad Guy.
The two-time champion concluded her post by thanking the fans who continued to support her over the years and stated, “I will speak my story one day to show you what girl power really is. …. I still got a lot of fight left in me.”
Cara Maria, Who Won the Show 2 Times, Received Some Support From Her Boyfriend & Co-Star
Cara received a lot of support from fans and co-stars in the comments, including from her boyfriend Paulie Calafiore, who wrote, “Definition of a BADA**. You’re so strong and have so much love and support.” Her “War of the Worlds” co-star “Ninja” Natalie Duran commented, “Aww love u Cara. More than anything i felt and seen your protective heart time and time again. You are a strong a** woman.”
Cara Maria appeared in 14 seasons of “The Challenge” after debuting in 2010 on “Fresh Meat II.” In those 14 seasons, she competed in an impressive 9 finals and won 2 of them, “Battle of the Bloodlines” and “Vendettas.”
Cara Maria last competed in “War of the Worlds 2” and was part of a strong alliance with her boyfriend, Paulie Calafiore, running a big part of the game until the final. She competed with Team USA, including Ninja Natalie and Zach Nichols, but lost in the final to Team UK, specifically Chris “CT” Tamburello, Jordan Wiseley, Rogan O’Connor and Dee Nguyen.
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