Look how far they’ve come! The Challenge star Tori Deal opened up about the progress she and ex Jordan Wisely have made since their split.
“There was definitely a time when I thought Jordan and I were never gonna speak again and that was definitely really uncomfortable to live with that feeling,” Deal, 30, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting The Challenge: World Championship, which premieres on MTV Wednesday, March 8.
The Are You the One? alum continued: “More than anything, I don’t care what has happened to us in the past to get us to this point. For where we are now, I’m eternally grateful, and would do all the pain over again just to be where we are right now.”
Deal and Wisely, 32, got engaged in 2019 after meeting two years prior on the set of The Challenge XXX: Dirty 30. The pair called it quits in November 2020 after filming The Challenge: The War of the Worlds together.
“Me and Jordan were on the rocks for a lot longer than people know, and we had broken up before The Challenge [Double Agents] for a little bit,” the New York native revealed during a January 2021 appearance on the “Chicks in the Office” podcast. “I really, really begged him to stay with me. I was like, ‘Let’s try to work it out, and we had this moment where we were like, ‘All right, I’m going to go on the show, you’re going to stay home. Let’s see what happens, let’s see if this distance will help us.’”
Despite ups and downs during their relationship, Deal spoke highly of Wiseley when confirming their split via Instagram.
“I thought I knew love when Jordan and I were together, but there is a different kind of love that two people feel when they decide it’s time to experience life apart,” she wrote. “Even though Jordan and I are going to be moving forward in separate ways, our love, support and connection with one another only grows stronger and deeper.
Deal and her ex-fiancé went on to compete on Ride or Dies together post-split in October 2022. The duo butted heads over their broken alliance during part 2 of the Ride or Dies reunion which aired on Wednesday, March 1.
“I respect and hold my relationships outside of the game above the f—king game and you did not in that moment. I was hurt,” Wisely said during the episode, referring to Deal telling him on the show that a decision he made in the game would affect their real-world friendship.
The costars got another chance to compete together on World Championship and decided to have each other’s backs this time around.
“After Ride or Dies, we were able to walk into this next chapter and World Championship looking at each other like, ‘Wait a minute. We know each other better than anybody else here. So, let’s do ourselves a favor and try to look out for each other as much as possible,’” Deal told Us.
As for whether the MTV personalities will ever rekindle their romance, Deal doesn’t think it’s in the cards.
“There’s still so much love there, but we live completely different lives across the country and I think we’re still exploring what it’s like to be individuals,” she said.
The Spies, Lies & Allies alum continued: “I’ve been single for the longest time now — for, like, a year — and I couldn’t be happier. And I think I’ve kind of, like, drained myself from relationships. Like, I need a break from them also. And I think he’s probably feeling the same way, so as right now, we’re just really great friends.”
Although the twosome’s dynamic is platonic, Deal admitted that she doesn’t “necessarily know” how she would feel about Wisely dating one of their costars.
“I’d have to wait to see how I would feel during [that] situation, but if he was happy, I would do everything in my power to just be like, ‘I’m happy for you,’” she said.
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With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
