The desert of Morocco proved to be an unforgiving welcome for Jussie Smollett on Thursday night’s season four premiere of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test on Fox. The former Empire star quickly learned why the reality competition isn’t called World’s Easiest Test.
From the moment the group of influencers, athletes, models, podcasters, and actors were driven into the desert, military-style handlers stormed the bus, hooded the contestants, and marched them into the unknown. Smollett was placed in Team Alpha alongside reality TV personality Gia Giudice, former NFL long snapper Andrew East, and Sister Wives cast member Kody Brown, among others.
Jason “Foxy” Fox, a former UK Special Forces soldier in charge of the contestants’ training, immediately sized up Smollett. “You’re on the wrong bus,” he said after removing Smollett’s hood.
In a confessional, Smollett explained his motivation for joining the show: “I’m here because I’ve been through some s–t and it’s been very public. I was called a liar with everybody believing something that was not true.” Smollett sees the show as a personal “reset” following a career derailment after his highly publicized legal battles stemming from the 2019 Chicago incident in which he claimed he was attacked. Although the Illinois Supreme Court reversed some of his convictions in November 2024, the ordeal took a significant toll on his professional reputation.
The premiere tested contestants immediately. They were forced to low crawl through mud, have their faces shoved into muddy puddles, and haul bags of sand up a steep hill. Smollett stalled midway, exclaiming, “I’m gonna die,” prompting Navy SEAL Jovon Quarles to call him out. “Sixteen, what are you doing? What is your problem? You are all truly p–sing me off, especially you, Sixteen. Sixteen, y’all better hurry up!”
Smollett admitted in a confessional, “I’m okay with taking orders. I just don’t like being yelled at all up in my face… I don’t like being disrespected.”
After repelling from a helicopter and settling into their barracks for the night, Brittany Cartwright, star of Vanderpump Rules, became the first contestant to quit the show.
Other contestants this season include podcaster Brianna LaPaglia, supermodel Chanel Iman, former professional soccer player Christie Pearce Rampone, singer Jessie James Decker, NFL quarterback flame-out Johnny Manziel, TikTok influencer Mark Estes, and more.
The premiere set the tone for a season of intense physical and mental challenges, forcing contestants to confront their limits under extreme pressure. For Smollett, the experience represents not just a competition, but a chance to reclaim his narrative in the public eye.
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