MTV’s Johnny Bananas took to Instagram on Monday to share some bad news: he’s backing out of a “Challenge”-themed cruise he was set to participate in with various fellow cast members. Unfortunately, Bananas realized the cruise was actually a scam, something he called “potentially criminal in nature.”
Bananas made sure to apologize to any fans who bought tickets for the cruise expecting to him. He and fellow “Challenge” champion Mark Long, who cosigned the post, also made it clear that neither of them were paid for promising to participate, and they hoped fans had enough time to change their plans and potentially back out of the cruise as well.
Why Johnny Bananas Backed Out of the Cruise
GettyIn an interview with Star, Bananas explained the full story behind his decision to back out of the event. The cruise, which Bananas was supposed to set sail with on November 6, was run by Showroom Travel Agency. Another (unnamed) reality TV star warned Bananas about the company’s owner, Mike Gibson, saying she had to “basically threaten” him in order to get the payment she was promised.
Before jumping to any conclusions, Bananas and Long went to Gibson to address their concerns. “We [said], ‘Listen dude, we heard some things were a little bit questionable on the first [cruise],’” Bananas said. “We want to run this with the utmost amount of professionalism and we can’t have you acting like that — this is a reflection on us as well.”
Gibson assured the two that he had stepped back from the company and that everything would go to plan, but Bananas started to notice some warning signs; for example, his contract stipulated he would be paid before the cruise, but he had yet to receive any money. When he reached out to inquire about the missing payment, he was told Gibson was in a car accident and could not speak to him.
At this point, Bananas realized it was all a scam. “If I’m owed a large sum of money and somebody that was supposed to pay me can’t because they’ve been in an accident — red flag,” he told Star.
Bananas took his concerns to his “Challenge” group chat, telling his fellow cast members, “‘Guys, this stinks to high heaven. This has all the hallmarks to a Ponzi scheme. I feel like he probably spent our money, can’t pay us and is just trying to just avoid us or buy time.”
What Johnny Bananas Has Learned Since His Instagram Post
GettySince announcing his decision to terminate his working relationship with the Showroom Travel Agency, Bananas has realized he definitely made the right call. “I was the domino that knocked all the other ones down — I had no idea the response was going to be this massive and widespread,” he said.
Other “Challenge” cast members have also made statements since this information came to light. Cara Maria Sorbello called the event the “Fyre Fest of the seas” in an Instagram reel, although she said she would still be attending the cruise. However, she clarified that she was no longer affiliated with Showroom. Sorbello simply realized she still wanted the fans to have a good experience.
Since Bananas’s Instagram post, the Showroom Travel Agency website is no longer active.
