The Challenge's Aneesa says she's in her 'petty era' after season 40: 'I'm just annoyed'

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Challenge: Battle of the Eras, season 40, episode 4, "My Trivia Era."

Aneesa Ferreira is done forgiving and forgetting after The Challenge season 40.

Thanks to her Era 1 teammate Darrell Taylor, the longtime veteran went into her second elimination of the season in the third episode of Battle of the Eras. And although she came close to beating Era 4 champion Jenny West in the endurance challenge, Aneesa lost in the final seconds and was sent home. After being sent into the first elimination of the season as well, she's feeling betrayed by a lot of people she thought had her back — and she's ready to let them all know she's entering her "petty era."

"I didn't feel like I needed either one of those eliminations," Aneesa tells Entertainment Weekly. "But I think even going in was kind of to quiet the haters a bit. The game has been played for decades the same way — women are treated differently than men, and people of color ... there's so many layers on layers of things that have been in play, whether the players are aware of it or not, it isn't really that surprising. It's unfortunate that it's not surprising, and I've worked really hard, and it's just annoying. I don't feel bad for myself — I'm just annoyed."

While she's been quiet about her feelings on being sent into eliminations by her friends in the past, she's done letting things slide.

"I started to believe people not thinking I was good enough and it really messed with my self-esteem," she says. "Now, I don't give a s--- what anybody thinks. I show up and I know that I'm capable or I wouldn't be there. People are like, 'She's out of shape and she can't do this.' If I am incapable of doing it, I wouldn't be there! I know myself better now, and I want to be part of the winner's circle. All my friends are in it, and I want to be part of the club."

Below, Aneesa breaks down that close call against Jenny, who she's "pissed" at after her exit, and more.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You almost beat Jenny — that was so close!

ANEESA FERREIRA: We have to rephrase it like, Jenny barely beat me.

Was it as close as it seemed in the episode?

Oh yeah, a thousand percent. I was ahead for a while. My last run to the ball where my hand's out, she was just throwing her last ball up. So if I would've just put [the jacks] in, that would've been it. Or if she would've missed, I would've had a chance to run it back, but yeah, it was definitely that close. Like seconds.

What did you think of how she was gassing out and almost seemed to stop competing because she couldn't breathe?

I didn't look at her while I was playing, so I didn't know that was happening until after. I was like, "Why are you so out of breath?" She's so fit, so I was very surprised. And you never want to see people struggle, unless you're evil, but I was fine. We went for an hour. It was a long time.

Jenny is a total beast so how did it feel coming so close to taking her out of the game?

It definitely made me feel great that I performed better than I thought I was going to. It just made me feel like I needed to give myself more credit. It takes an element of coordination and timing and strategy to do these things, and if you don't have them, I don't care how many muscles you have, you're probably not going to win. And that's no shade to Jenny — I meant just in general, we've seen people in finals that are built like brick s---houses fall and not be able to complete them, to some of the champions going home in the first week.

It was a loss, but it was such a win. I couldn't even cry. I normally leave and I'm so upset, but it was so early, I wasn't too invested. I wasn't in it. And then the only person I got emotional with was Jordan — I hugged him and I fell apart. He coached me through the whole thing, and when I say coached me, he just yelled at me about, "Rest on the walk back, sprint, rest." It was like a machine, and then Tori just screaming, "This is what you trained for!" I'm so grateful to have such amazing friends, to be recognized as an athlete by TJ after that, to be that impressive in an elimination that I thought I had no business being in, to totally surprising everybody on that stage, everyone in production, and myself. It was a win.

You've had some amazing elimination performances in the past. Where does this one rank?

This one really pushed you. I felt very naked in this one. I felt like my brain wasn't on the spot, my strength wasn't, it was just me. It was like me vs. me — I know I was against Jenny, but my back's towards her. I'm doing something where I'm sprinting, and I've never had to do an elimination like this. So it definitely ranks in top five feel-good ones, but the loss just doesn't seem as painful. It was just so close, it wasn't a shutout on either side, so it's great to watch.

There has to be a night when I stop thinking about it. My hand has been out in my mind, going for the ball, trying to replay it, trying to be like, "I should have done this." And then I'm like, "Wait a minute. Stop that. You did what you could. It was great." I really can't wait to see how people react to it, what kind of DMs I'm going to get, what kind of love I'm getting after this one. Hopefully I silence the haters and that it shows people that at any age and size and whatever, we can be athletes, we can be strong, and we are capable of a lot more than we allow ourselves to believe.

Let's back up to the challenge. We see Jordan lose in the lightning round —

But did he? Did he lose that?

That was my question: Do you think he threw that? Do you think he had a deal going with Laurel and Bananas?

I don't know. Because once I watched it, and I was like, "Excuse me, Jordan, what is happening?" And now, I don't know. I have to call him. I may text him right now, after this is over, and ask him. If they did, they had a great way of kind of pulling it off, but I don't know why it didn't look so shady in real time. Because when you watch it back, it looks shady as hell!

What did you think of how Darrell chose you as the Era 1 target for this episode?

Yeah, Darrell's on my s--- list. I posted something today on Instagram after the gym, and he was like, "Oh hey," and I'm like, "Nope, I'm still mad at you." I'm going to be mad until I'm not. I need people to stop being comfortable with me going into elimination. That needs to not be a general consensus or this feeling felt by everyone that, "She's not going to mind. She's totally going to forgive us." I want to be petty. I'm in my petty era. I'm 42, about to be 43 in seven days, a week from today. And I'm sick of it, and I'm going to start being petty.

How did you feel about being voted into the first elimination, when Rachel "gave up" the power to CT, who then voted you in? And how are you and Rachel now?

I was pissed. Because the day before, she told me she was going to fight for me and I wasn't going in, so I thought I wasn't. And then we're in the chamber, and she was like, "I'm leaving it up to CT." I'm like, "Well, then I'm definitely going in." She was trying to spare Jodi's feelings, but I'm like, "What about mine?" It's that whole thing of, "She's fine. She'll get over it. It's Aneesa. She'll be fine." I'm tired. It's tiring now. It's annoying. I was mad at her for a day, I thought I was fine, but I just watched it back and I'm pissed again, so I think I'm angry about it. Rachel had one job, to just be a loyal friend, but let's see how it works out for her...

[Laughs] It's very Rachel. I was pissed, but I could let it go because I've known her since I was 20. This isn't a stranger to me. So maybe part of it was because I wasn't surprised, but with that long of a friendship, I shouldn't have to question or wonder if she's got my back... It's going to get messier. Don't you worry. There's a lot more to come.

So have you walked away from season 40 with new vendettas?

Yeah. I never hold grudges, but I think that I need to remember who has f---ed me over in the past. Everybody else holds on to stuff. I don't always have to be the bigger person. We are on reality television. I can act a fool, so I don't always have to be humble and noble and wise and whatever. I'm allowed to stick up for myself. So if I ever go back, we'll see.

"If?!" I don't like the sound of that.

[Laughs] But you're not my L2 to L5 [vertebrae]. You're not my back right now. Those beds in Vietnam messed me up so much, but I am still strong. I'm still at it. I'm still in the gym every day, so I feel good. If they call me and they need me to go, I'm ready. But this has been a nice little break. We don't get them that often... I guess I can do one or two more. Can't let you guys down, but you guys can all pitch in for my health insurance, because it's expensive. So as long as you guys do that, I'm there.

What else happened this season that wasn't shown in the episodes?

Olivia and I and Nurys had a conversation they didn't show, which was unfortunate because we aired out a lot of stuff. Olivia and I are fine — we love each other again. And the evolution of Aneesa and Cara, they didn't show any of our blossoming friendship. She still doesn't follow me on Instagram, which I'm kind of butthurt about, a little salty about that one, but whatever. I just saw her better this time. I understood her more. She was fun. She's funny. We were trying to figure out how we had beef, and we don't know why we have it. It was kind of like two people not liking each other for no reason, and we were like, "Let's get over this." I wish they would've shown that — maybe they're saving it so Cara and I could be Rivals... Don't put us in elimination because we're going to beat you!

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.