“It’s nothing personal.”
Earlier this season, Mackins and Pasquis became friends and Pasquis asked Mackins to braid her hair.
Pasquis ended up losing that elimination against Jodi Weatherton and was sent home.
Ayanna Mackins on ‘The Challenge: All Stars 2’.James Dimmock/Paramount+
“We got levels.”
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let’s start at the beginning.
What happened between the two of you to sour your new friendship?
‘The Challenge: All Stars 2’.Laura Barisonzi/MTVE
Why you’re there in the first place flavors the interactions that I have with the cast members.
I live in a neighborhood that the socioeconomic gap is wide.
My lastChallengewas 17 years ago.
We’re walking through this house where social collateral’s built up for everyone.
So to get into an interaction that you have with someone she asked me to braid her hair.
She asked me multiple times to braid her hair.
She didn’t give me any directions as to what she wanted.
She didn’t provide a picture or style that she wanted.
Because in the middle ofThe Challenge, that’s not a good look.
Sophia did a lot of talking, but it wasn’t to me.
She told people that we were in a war and consistently inflated this moment.
So I read that as being adversarial.
I read it as being just not consistent.
And I’m there for my kids.
I’m there for $500,000.
I’m not there to take a stab at be anyone’s psychologist.
So at what point did you decide you were going to choose Sophia for the elimination?
We can’t talk about that without talking about the actual challenge.
Was it always the intent for me to be the captain and wash the Life Shield?
That planted a seed in me early that I need to read this a little differently.
It’s unreasonable on theChallengefield, come on now.
Not Ayanna, that’s not going to happen.
We lost the challenge as a team.
It puts us in an immediate space where we have to assess what’s the next steps?
For me, it was very clear.
Is Jodi going to go in?
She ensured that our team was neck-and-neck with the other team by pushing all the pieces forward.
I couldn’t let some random number being pulled behind MJ’s back send her into the elimination.
Kendal’s already shown me that she’s someone who I can trust and depend upon.
That only leaves three other names: Jonna, Casey, and Sophia.
Once I say she’s going into the elimination arena, the ball’s in her court.
It’s Sophia in that arena against tic-tac-toe.
It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your head or going on in your life.
Reflecting on it, that’s what I see in it.
I just don’t think that that’s just.
But I’m not a perfect person.
All I can do is follow the blueprint who’s ready to be great?
And I’m not saying that Sophia don’t have it in her to be great.
Can’t shift the blame to somebody else.
If she wasn’t in the elimination arena, who else deserved to be in there?
That’s my question I’m going to leave everybody with.
Let’s leave the victimhood for other conversations.
You know, my neighborhood?
Come on now, this is what I’m coming intoThe Challengewith.
Man, it was a gift.
And I’ll treasure it forever.
Your biggest competition is you.
I think they think I’m a little off-brand.
[Laughs] I can’t dismiss the fact that other people have had adverse experiences in the arena.
But especially after that experience, people can see why I’m here.
I’m not flying by on being someone’s pal or alliance.
I underestimated the power that those alliances bring to the game.
I know for next time, I guess.
What can you say about how the rest of the season goes for you?
We have this introduction into theChallenge: All Starsuniverse of the Life Shield.
There’s a lot to learn from it.
So watch that Life Shield and how it plays into the sequence of events.
And shout-out to Tyler for bringing the spice this season.
Look forward to Tyler and Teck and other cast members coming out in unexpected ways.
