Diem Brown Diagnosed With Colon Cancer Before ‘The Challenge,’ Says Johnny Bananas

Diem Brown knew that she had colon cancer before she did The Challenge according to one of her co-stars. After two serious bouts with ovarian cancer, Diem was diagnosed with colon cancer that had metastasized. Her third diagnosis was her last, as she passed away just months later.

On the Jan. 20 episode of the popular MTV reality show, fans watched as Diem got very sick (it started after the peanut butter challenge the week prior). She was carried by longtime beau Chris “CT” Tamburello to a waiting car, and was taken on a stretcher to a private plane that brought her to New York. She started treatment in the fall, and suffered quite a few setbacks before her doctors delivered to her some devastating news: Diem was terminal.

According to Zap2It, Diem knew what was going on. While fans thought that she was just experiencing the initial signs of cancer, Challenge co-star and longtime Diem pal, Johnny Bananas, revealed that Diem was actually diagnosed over the summer, just before the gang left for Panama.

“I was actually there on her birthday [in June] when she found out that [the cancer] had come back for a third time. That was before this challenge.”

Diem Brown wanted to do The Challenge anyway, which just shows you how brave she was. Of course knowing now that Diem knew then is heartbreaking. According to Hollywood Life, Diem spoke openly about wanting to live the dream — and wanting children — in her interviews on the show. Although she knew that she was battling cancer for a third time, Diem stayed positive, and let people know that she had plans to have a “real” life after cancer. Secretly, however, cancer was still a part of her life.

“Diem told audiences in her opening that she wanted to use the prize money so that she could pay for surrogates to have a baby – something she could not do on her own since her ovaries had been removed to fight her ovarian cancer. She said this, all the while knowing that she was fighting for her life.”

Many contestants on The Challenge didn’t know that Diem had cancer again. While some couldn’t help but fear the worst, only a select few knew that Diem’s sickness was more than just a tummy bug.

Diem Brown passed away on Nov. 14, just three months after filming the Jan. 20 episode (which was her last).

Diem touched so many people with her incredible heart. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Davis Mallory from The Dual 2 wrote “Beautiful Girls (Diem’s Song),” and it truly captures who Diem was as a person. Check that out here.

[Photo courtesy of D Dipasupil/FilmMagic via People Magazine]