Shawn Johnson breaks silence on tense moment with Kody Brown during Special Forces: World's Toughest Test

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East has opened up about her tense interaction with Sister Wives star Kody Brown during Season 4 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, clarifying what really happened between them in the grueling Fox reality series.

In an interview published by Us Weekly on October 25, Johnson addressed whether Kody’s personality and behavior on set bothered her amid the physically and emotionally draining challenges of the show.

What really happened between Shawn Johnson and Kody Brown on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test

Johnson and her husband, former NFL player Andrew East, joined Season 4 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, which premiered on September 25, 2025.

The show puts celebrities into situations they are not used to and throws them into a training scenario directed by former Special Forces personnel.

The recruits are shipped to a place where they have no luxury or privacy, and are subjected to severe mental and physical training in severe desert conditions.

Speaking about her experience and the viral tension with Brown during an Instagram Story Q&A session on Friday, October 24, Johnson said,

“Let me just say this in general as a whole — so this has nothing to do with Kody, but there were so many different personalities and styles.”

She further added, 

“A lot of us probably wouldn’t have gotten along outside of the show, but I will say there was not a single person casted on that show that I would not have trusted with my life in the middle of a challenge.”

This remark comes after Brown himself admitted to moments of embarrassment and self-doubt during filming.

He had previously shared with Us Weekly in September that he “felt a lot of shame due to making significant mistakes in leadership” while working alongside Johnson East during a team challenge.

“I was so ashamed because I just made huge mistakes in leadership. It was all just training, [but] it was embarrassing and sad. In reality, if that would have been a combat situation, both of us might have been dead,” Brown stated.

These comments quickly led to online speculation that there might have been tension between Johnson and Brown during the mission, especially after fans noticed awkward exchanges between them in Episode 4.

However, Johnson’s recent clarification appears to dispel those rumors, maintaining that while emotions ran high, there was no animosity. Johnson explained:

“We got mixed up into different teams so much, I truly got to interact with every single person, when it came to being really vulnerable and scared, every single person had my back and vice versa. So, even if we all got annoyed with each other based on different styles, I still would put them on my team.”

Brown had opened up separately about being “emotionally clobbered” by the show’s intense environment.

Brown told E! News earlier this year:

“They’re finding your weakness. And they’re pushing you on your weakness, it felt like it broke me. It was humiliating in such a way that I came home feeling just humble.”

The fourth season of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test has featured moments of both camaraderie and conflict among the star-studded cast, which includes Gia Giudice, Brittany Cartwright, and Eric Decker.

Brown’s competitive nature and tendency to take control reportedly clashed with the approaches of other recruits.

According to fellow contestant Giudice:

“There were just scenarios — which you guys will see on Special Forces — where, maybe, he wasn’t being the best team player and he wasn’t looking out for the people who were on his team and more so just looking out for himself and the end goal to win. When you have other people on your team, we’re trying our best and we’re struggling a little bit. Let us catch our breath.”

But she clarified that she held no animosity toward him.

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test continues airing Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox, showcasing both the physical challenges and the emotional battles that arise when celebrities are stripped of fame and comfort in pursuit of self-discovery.

Stay tuned for more updates.