Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio has paid an emotional tribute to his Real World and The Challenge co-star Tyler Duckworth.
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In his latest Instagram post, Devenanzio shared a video of him and Duckworth while playing Zach Bryan’s “Pink Sies” on an acoustic guitar.
“You were more than a friend. More than a roommate. You were the brother I never had,” he wrote in the post’s caption. “Rest easy, Tyler. You’ll always be family.”
He then added the numbers “147:3,” which is referencing the Bible verse that reads, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Devenanzio and Duckworth first met on MTV’s The Real World: Key West in 2006. They later appeared on The Challenge: The Duel, The Gauntlet III, and Cutthroat. In 2011, the duo were teammates on The Challenge: Rivals and won the season.
Duckworth’s Mother Announced His Passing Late Last Week
Duckworth’s mom, Joni, took to Facebook late last week to announce her son’s death. The Grand Forks Police Department (GFPD) told PEOPLE the former reality TV star was discovered dead in his Grand Forks apartment on August 11. He was 44 years old.
“My son, Tyler, passed away earlier this week,” Joni shared. “Cause of death has yet to be determined. I will post on Facebook about services as soon as his dad and I figure it out.”
Devenanzio initially reacted to the news by writing, “When it rains, it pours,” and used a heartbreak and duck emoji.
Devenanzio and Duckworth’s fellow Real World and The Challenge co-star, Paula Beckert, posted a lengthy tribute.
“1 of our 7 strangers…,” she wrote in her most recent Instagram post. Just needed to put some words to the loss of @themightyduckworth. It’s messy and a lot of rambling. I tried to find the right words, but they don’t exist. How could they? You can’t sum up a person like Tyler, nor are we supposed to.”
The MTV reality TV star pointed out that Duckworth was more than a contestant and cast member; he was a brother, friend, teacher, student, and so much more.
“Life gets in the way,” she wrote, regarding the duo not speaking in recent years. “Brings us away. Death brings us back together. I hope he wasn’t scared. I hope he haunts me from time to time.”