Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio, a prominent figure from MTV's "The Challenge," has publicly mourned the sudden death of his longtime friend and co-star, Tyler Duckworth. Duckworth, 44, was found deceased in his North Dakota apartment on August 11.
Devenanzio, 44, shared an emotional video on Instagram featuring a montage of his two-decade friendship with Duckworth. The clip included a moment from "The Challenge" where Duckworth expressed his love for Devenanzio, accompanied by Devenanzio singing Zach Bryan's song "Pink Skies." Devenanzio captioned the post, "You were more than a friend. More than a roommate. You were the brother I never had. Rest easy, Tyler. You’ll always be family ❤️ 147:3."
The biblical reference, Psalm 147:3, states, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Fellow "Challenge" star Kendal Darnell commented on Devenanzio's post, noting that Duckworth spoke highly of him. Duckworth's mother, Joni, also shared a statement with People, describing her son as someone who "found his passion in teaching" and that his students loved him. She added that her son "has now gone on to a better place where the hurts and challenges (pun intended) are no longer."
Devenanzio and Duckworth first met as roommates on "The Real World: Key West," which aired in 2006. They both went on to compete in multiple seasons of "The Challenge," and notably won the "The Challenge: Rivals" season together in 2011.
Grand Forks Police Department officers responded to Duckworth's apartment after neighbors reported water leaking through their ceiling. Upon arrival around 11:45 a.m. local time, officers discovered Duckworth unresponsive in his bathtub. Police indicated that there were no immediate signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, though the exact cause is pending autopsy and toxicology results. Duckworth was last seen the day before his body was found.