'The Challenge: All Stars' Season 4's Tina Barta Reveals an Unseen Fight with Flora
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Tina Barta
The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 is here! Throughout the season, Parade.com will speak with the challengers who were eliminated from the all-star competition.
Tina Barta had trouble getting her game off the ground. Despite this being her third season in a row of The Challenge: All Stars, it was expressed by both friend and foe alike that politicking was not necessarily her strong suit. It's not to say she didn't make moves that made waves, such as trying to strongarm Averey Tressler to not vote her into elimination, or throwing a vote onto her close friend and ally Rachel Robinson. But those waves almost always crashed down on her, drenching her chances of finding a larger alliance. It's only fitting, then, that Tina go out at the hands of political maneuvering, a piece of Kam Williams' long game to steal Cara Maria Sorbello's star. After an episode of challenge collusion and screaming matches, Kam finally succeeded in her plan, at the cost of sending Tina out of the game.
Now out of the game, Tina speaks with Parade.com about her reaction to the actions of last episode, her intention in voting Rachel into elimination, and an entire unseen fight with Flora that nearly got physical.
Related: Everything to Know About The Challenge: All Stars Season 4
Hey, Tina! I'm excited to get some "Tina Thoughts" from you in person.
Wait, so are you reading my #TinaThoughts?
Of course! Gotta keep my finger on the pulse of Challenge social media.
So you kind of know how my weird brain works a little bit!
We'll see! But I'm along for the ride with you right now. I want to start with everything that went down in this last episode. It really seemed like you were merely a pawn in Kam's bigger scheme to get Cara Maria's star. Were you aware of that, and what was your reaction to how her plan came at the cost of your game?
Yes, I was aware in all the schemes. I just got the highlights because I never really involved in the petty stuff. I try not to, although I like to hear about it, I'm not gonna lie. But I won't take sides when it comes to the petty stuff. Okay, that's a lie. Nevermind. [Laughs.] I'll just give my honest opinion. Normally, people don't like my honest opinion. Whether I don't tell you what you want to hear, I tell you what I think, and then, you know, you could take it or not.
But I knew that that was happening. I was like, "Everybody, y'all are playing this chick's game. I don't even know who this chick is. Do you know who that chick is? Oh, you do." I don't do as much talking and strategizing like that. Because I can't trust that many people to work with me. Because I got along with Kam. But she was on the opposite side of the fence. So I didn't play into her giving her what she wanted or give her the idea that I'm willing to work with her. Which was kind of a mistake, I guess. But I'm just too honest. I couldn't promise anything! I couldn't.
Well let's go from someone you were unfamiliar with to someone you certainly were. You played with Rachel for the first time in decades. Talk to me about you going along the vote to send her into elimination, and were you surprised she reacted the way she did?
I did. Rachel knew about where my head was at. There's no question. She knew that if it came down to that, that I would say her name, because it would save me. Because we talked about this before. And she was upset, reasonably so. You don't want to hear your friend say your name. But I told her. I was like, "But Rachel, if it comes down to it, and you're in that position, you'd do the same thing. Don't show your cards yet." It was too early in the game. So Rachel and I, we knew what was happening. The three of us, I'm very open with them; they're very open with me. I said, "It's okay [Rachel] took my star." And we had a game plan between the three of us of how at least one of us would get to that final. So that's how we were playing. That's how we were playing the game with the star and with going in, to save the three of us. The three of us in that final, that's what that's how we were playing.
What did that plan involve? Was it just what we had been seeing with whoever goes down into elimination giving stars to the other two?
I have this theory that the way that Rachel, Veronica, and I can work together and do these games and still come out friends. So we talked about this 20 years ago, and I think that that's what this stems from. The way we go about the game with each other, if we're able to do it a certain way, which we talked about, we'll always be able to remain friends. And yes, we'll get mad at each other. And Rachel, she has more than every reason to be mad at me. But she understands why I made that decision. That's why she forgives me.
As much as you say Rachel understood your decision, it did ping differently to the other people in the house. We actually saw Ryan say a couple of times that, in you voting in Rachel, that proved your disloyalty and untrustworthiness. Were you aware of this perception from your move?
That what they were riding on. That was the gravy train, that I betrayed Rachel. But they weren't able to understand why I would do that. Because you have other people in your ear telling you why they did it that have no idea what the arrangement is. So I'm watching this, and I'm going, "Wow, they really fell for it." It's disheartening, because these people are my friends.
Well, one of your friends, Veronica, was very upfront in confessional about how much you lacked in politicking. Talk to me about what was going on there. Was this just specific to this season?
No, it's always been an issue. [Laughs.] It's always been an issue! Because I don't play the whole "game." I will tell you what's gonna happen. Like, Averey was like, "What do you want to do?" I was like, "Okay, do you want to negotiate? Let's negotiate?" And then she didn't want to negotiate. So I was like, "Okay, do you want me to strongarm you? Yes, it's gonna be your star that I'm taking. It's your gonna be your star. I just want to let you know." It was like that kind of conversation. I guess some people are very intimidated by the fact that I'm too upfront, and that I won't play their game with them.
You getting that star from Averey was the culmination of everything in that second episode. We have this conflict with Ayanna and Janelle that ultimately has the latter choosing to quit the game. And we saw that you were certainly getting vocal with Janelle about how she had allegedly asked to go against Jasmine. Talk me through what happened there.
So I really thought she said it. And I was like, "What kind of game are you playing? You're just saying to my face that you didn't say Jasmine's name. Because everybody's going nuts." I believed Ayanna. I was sticking up for my friend who told me that that was the truth. And I apologized to Janelle. I was like, "Dude, I thought she was saying the truth." I felt bad. She just started crying. And I was like, "Oh, no!" But I know a lot of people, on these things, they turn on those waterworks to gain sympathy. So I'm like, "Is this true? Is this not true?" But it was true. As you know, she was hurt; she left. So I was like...[Makes several exasperated noises and puts her hands on her head.]
Well let's stay on the subject of bad blood. Because if anyone has been following you and Flora on social media, you know there is some conflict there. What's been going on?
To be honest with you, I thought it was squashed in the house. I mean, the very next day, we were laughing and chuckling it up with each other. So the fact that she still has this venom, a year and a half later, where the hell did this come from? [Laughs.]
Can you provide a little context to this? Because I believe what you're referring to is a fight that we didn't see between the two of you when you got back to the house after an elimination. I think she compared it to a Jerry Springer confrontation.
That girl tried to take it to Jerry Springer? Oh my god.
So tell me your side of the conflict.
I don't know how much I can talk about it. I gotta dance around it. Because I do have bosses Hmm. But I made sure she could smell my breath, and I hope it stank. Because I was two inches from her face. So she does know how my breath stinks. [Laughs.] So that's why she said that. I called her out on a bluff. She said that she wanted to physically assault me. And I said, "If you want to, then here's my face." She couldn't follow through. So I called her out on her bluff. I was like, "You're a coward. Don't step to me unless you could follow through."
When did this happen? Was this because of an elimination?
It was actually over Rachel. That's why I was upset. She went to Rachel and she was able to convince Rachel. Rachel was convinced by Flora that I set her up, that I set up that entire thing, when it's her best friend who was part of the setup. So that's why I was pissed, because Flora's convincing Rachel that I set her up to get to go home. But it was her best friend in the house, Jasmine, who actually, with Brandon, put that in motion. So once I called her out on that, now it's, "I'm throwing my friend underneath the bus." Do you see how she's throwing whatever she can at the wall and hoping that something sticks?
And you made sure you let her know something stinks: Your breath!
And I made sure she smelled it.
So then what's your reaction to her bringing this up a year and a half later while the season is airing?
She's the one who initiates. I don't initiate. But I definitely put an end to it. I'm hoping she realizes, if a person has been coming after me for 20 years, I don't expect her best friend to stop after a year and a half. So at this point, I'm over it. And it's funny, I feel like. Because I didn't defend myself these past 20 years. I just kind of let them talk because I'm not in the public eye. I don't seek out articles. I just let it go. I just let it be. I think that it put me at a at a disservice. Because now everybody believes I'm a certain way, and they don't accept me for how I've grown or who I am today. They treat me the way that they think I am, and not with what I'm presenting them.
Finally, in honor of the infamous "[expletive] They Should Have Shown" episode of the old-school days of The Challenge, what's one moment from your time on the show that you wish you had made the edit?
Oh my god, there was I would say there were so many funny things that happened that they did not show. I wish they wouldn't go back to the "[expletive] You Should Have Seen." I feel like that would be an entire 10-part episode within itself. That would be [expletive] fantastic. Although, I would feel like every single one of us would probably get canceled by the end of it. I would say every single one of us cast members. Nobody's above that.
Well is there one particular moment you'd like to call out while you're editing this 10-part series in your head?
Okay, how about this? I'll give you one that we talked about. Flora punched a cement wall. She's supposed to be a general contractor! She told everybody's she's a general contractor, and she punched a cement brick wall that she walks past every day. She [expletive] her hand up, okay?!
