From the moment that Squid Game: The Challenge was announced, it was met with criticism. Commentators slammed Netflix for trying to capitalize on Squid Game by bringing the titular competition to life, saying the producers had completely missed the point of the show.
Unfortunately for Netflix, the criticism didn’t end there. Once the show began production, reports came out that conditions for the contestants ranged from bad to terrible. Moreover, claims surfaced that the show was rigged, with many contestants being eliminated unfairly while others advanced without having won their challenges.
Now, one contestant, Dash Katz, has come forward, alleging that they were entirely misrepresented by the show’s edit. WARNING: This article contains a brief discussion of sexual abuse and spoilers for Squid Game: The Challenge Episodes 1-5 follow.
Squid Game: The Challenge editors did Dash dirty
Dash, Player 141, spoke with The Messenger about their on-screen feud with Charlise Chaney, Player 179. Dash said they would “not come for anybody unless they betray me and target me first, which is what happened.” They went on, “It’s a TV show – they can’t fit everything – so it looks like I strike first. But I am not the snake that some people are calling me.”
Dash was kicked off of Charlise’s team ahead of what they thought would be a tug-of-war game. The contender claimed they heard Charlise and another player laughing about it the next morning. Dash then voted to eliminate Charlise and lied to her about it. “I already knew I couldn’t trust her,” they explained. “Why would I ever tell somebody that I voted them?”
Ultimately, Dash said they hold no grudges. However, they do wish audiences got to see more of their backstory. “I was a trailblazer in New Jersey because I spent years battling a serial rapist in court, and I won the case,” they shared. “I was outed, also, by my abuser — as if it was something consensual … It was beyond dehumanizing.”
They went on, “So I try and stand up for myself. I try and stand up for people. I’m so proud of myself for standing up for myself and for standing up for the other victims. I was a victim of what I went through, but at the end of the day, I am a survivor. I am strong. So that’s why I’m the way I am.”
Squid Game: The Challenge is streaming now on Netflix.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF DASH’S GAME? DO YOU BELIEVE THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY?
