Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio took to social media to defend himself on Friday after he was accused of making a racist remark to a contestant on Netflix’s new live dating show, Pop the Balloon.
During Thursday’s live premiere, host Yvonne Orji asked The Challenge star if any of the women on stage were his type. In response, Johnny proceeded to inspect the feet of the single ladies, seemingly telling a white woman in a green dress that she had “pretty toes,” then telling the white blond woman next to him that she had “pretty toes” as well. His next comment— which many viewers found racist — appeared to be directed at the Black contestant in between the two white women.
“You look like you sleep from a tree upside down,” Johnny appeared to tell the woman, who seemed unsure if Johnny was directing his comment at her.
“Me? Oh, you don’t want the smoke from me, Johnny,” she said. “Was he talking about me?”
Some of the other contestants on-stage looked shocked by Johnny’s comment, including another Black woman standing in the line. However, the questionable comment went unchecked during Thursday’s live show.
While it wasn’t brought up on the show, many fans were quick to call out Johnny’s racist remark on social media, with some slamming Netflix for “white-washing” a concept created by Black couple Arlette Amuli and Bolia Matundu and allowing racially offensive remarks to be aired.
“That racism asf. @netflix to sit here and copy a show that isn’t even yours then allow this facially challenged white man to say that to her is absurd. What is wrong w yall,” one person wrote on X.
“They whitewashed the show and brought known RACISTS white folks at that?! Netflix….” someone else wrote.
Others were quick to point out that this not the first time that Johnny has been accused of making racist statements.
“And that’s the second time he’s said something like this to a black woman this year,” someone commented.
Johnny Bananas from “The Challenge” told the black woman on ‘Pop The Balloon’ LIVE that she looks like she sleeps from a tree upside down https://t.co/gDfpztJOD1 pic.twitter.com/8oajjEvDeI
— Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) April 11, 2025
On Friday, the MTV star took to X to defend his actions, claiming that he was speaking to the white woman who was wearing a green dress with leaves on it and not to the Black contestant.
“Hey morons, I was actually talking about the WHITE girl whose toes were hanging over her shoes who is literally dressed like a f**king tree!” Johnny wrote on X. “It’s wild how fast some people can twist a moment into a false narrative.
“There’s real racism out there, weaponizing fake outrage for clicks cheapens it,” he added.
Johnny’s poor attempt at an explanation was met with mixed reactions, though many fans seemed unconvinced by his explanation. In a response to Johnny’s tweet, a person pointed out that Johnny very clearly complimented the toes of the woman in the green dress, so he could not have been making the insulting comment to her.
“This directly contradicts the video you responded to,” the viewer wrote on X. “Your screenshot is you literally telling the girl ‘you got pretty toes’ before proceeding to tell the girl next to you that she has pretty toes. Even the Black woman said ‘you talking about me?!’ So nothing was twisted.”
“Maybe call me crazy, if you didn’t mean it towards the Black girl… instead of calling people morons…. Just say ‘hey, sorry it was a misunderstanding, I was joking and I was talking [to] the other girl’ cause this didn’t help your case,” another commented. “Based on your past, you should be mindful.”
“Also, historically, this is on par with your brand,” another person wrote on X. “Blame, shame, and refer to them outside their name (even as recent as Taylor Mack, who you *still* have not apologized/acknowledged wrongdoing to). We are literally here pointing out racism and you standing there like 
.”
As The Ashley previously reported, Johnny was accused in February of responding to a tweet from Taylor Hale– the first Black woman to win Big Brother– with a gorilla emoji. Johnny fired off the tweet after Taylor mentioned on X that the “yellow fruit man” (aka Johnny Bananas) had taken to the social media platform earlier that day claiming that he was “looking for engagement.” In response, Johnny’s account replied to Taylor with a series of banana emojis, followed by a gorilla emoji– a reply that had fans and fellow reality TV stars calling out Johnny for what appeared to be a racist tweet. The tweet was quickly deleted; however, the fallout continued for days.
A week after the tweet-and-delete, Johnny shared his side of the story with Variety, claiming the response to Taylor was posted by a marketing and content creation agency that he had allowed to take over his social media accounts to promote the $BANANAS cryptocurrency he was launching.
Johnny also explained to the outlet that in the “crypto world,” certain emojis mean different things– including the gorilla and ape emojis– suggesting that this was the reason the company had used the emoji in the first place.
Taylor, who shared a statement about the incident with Variety, said that Johnny had contacted her to explain the situation and she reportedly informed him that she “did not believe the intent of the tweet to be racist.” Still, she revealed that she had received “actual racist messages” from people on social media who claimed to be Johnny’s fan.
“ … I do not hold Johnny responsible for the insensitive tweet, but I do hold him responsible for the response,” she said. “Public disrespect should be met with the most immediate public apology through the same medium. I believe Johnny and I can agree we’d like the narrative of racism to be put to rest, and for the temperature to be brought down on all sides.”
(Photos: MTV; Netflix; X; Instagram)
14 Responses
Did you not read the article? He said he was talking about the white girl in the green dress, not the black girl.
Also, Taylor called him the “yellow fruit man” (obviously referencing his nickname BANANAS). That’s why he responded with the banana emojis. It had nothing to do with her being black. It’s the woke police that are racist. They have race on their mind 24/7. They automatically jump to the conclusion of racism in any situation that involves a white person and a poc. It’s insane.
Sorry. I meant this to be a reply to Monica.
To those thinking it isn’t racist that is because you are too racist to see why it is a racist comment.
I’m so sick of people drawing the race card on everything. When everting is racist than nothing is racist.
It’s is racist it suggested she is monkey. So it’s not a card what he said was racist.
FYI, monkey’s are not the only animal that hang from a tree upside down. I highly doubt he would go on national TV and tell a black woman she looks like a monkey. That is ridiculous.
He’s always been a garbage person and he’s always gonna be a garbage person.
MTV hired Cheyanne Floyd AFTER her racist texts about hurting white babies.. so everyone can stfu so sick of the double standard
It wasn’t a text. It was retweet. But yeah, I agree.
Spoken by the white woman. Good grief! Do you have a heritage? Just zip your stupid lips!
hey pot…. you’re a racist pos aren’t ya @indiangie
I’m sorry but the comments before this incident were already weird. Does he have a foot fetish, why does he think it’s appropriate to comment on women’s toes? (Maybe it was part of the show, idk what it is about) Why is he STILL talking about women’s appearances years later?! Just…retire from reality TV, Bananas, it will do everyone good.
(Wasn’t his ex Camilla racist on The Challenge too? Even tho she didn’t realize it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was too. Camilla suffered real consequences getting kicked out of the show for punching a producer tho)
He’s a dirtbag, that blurs the line between a character he plays on TV and reality; to a degree that comes full circle and lands on stupid.