The house in Michigan is probably loud. Actually, it’s definitely loud. You don't have four kids under the age of five and a quiet living room. It's just not possible. Jenna Compono and Zach Nichols are a long way from the volcanic ash of Iceland or the drama-filled bunkers of The Challenge, but their life together is arguably more intense now than a TJ Lavin final.
They’ve become the "final boss" of reality TV relationships.
Most people who met on a show where the primary goal is backstabbing usually end up in a messy Twitter feud six months later. These two? They built an empire of strollers and diapers. But it wasn't always a straight line to domestic bliss. Honestly, if you watched them back in the day, you probably wouldn't have bet on this outcome.
The Messy Reality of How They Started
They met on Battle of the Exes II in 2014. Jenna was the "Barbie Beast," surprisingly tough and way more athletic than her soft-spoken vibe suggested. Zach was the Thor-lookalike with a temper that could flare up at a moment's notice.
It was a classic reality TV spark. Intense. Physical. Fast.
But then came the "Brooke" incident. Everyone remembers that phone call, right? Jenna calls Zach from a different season, and he calls her "Brooke." Total gut-punch. For years, the narrative around Jenna Compono and Zach Nichols was one of "Will she leave him?" or "Does he deserve her?" Fans were protective of Jenna. They saw her as the sweetheart and Zach as the villain who didn't know what he had.
They broke up. They got back together. They broke up again. It was a cycle that looked like it would eventually just burn out.
Why the Michigan Move Changed Everything
Everything shifted when Jenna packed up her life in New York and moved to Brighton, Michigan. That's Zach’s turf. It was a massive gamble. People thought she was giving up her identity for him, but in reality, it seemed to be the moment they actually stepped out of the "Challenge Bubble."
Living in a small town in the Midwest is a lot different than living in a production-funded villa with an open bar.
Raising a "Squad of Six"
Fast forward to 2026, and they aren't just a couple; they're a full-blown team. The timeline of their family growth is honestly dizzying. You have to wonder if they even remember what a full night's sleep feels like.
Basically, they decided that if they were going to do the family thing, they were going to do it at 100 mph.
- Anthony Joseph: The firstborn. Arrived in September 2021. He’s the one who started the "Dad Zach" era, which, let’s be real, was a weird transition for fans to watch.
- Liliana Marie: Born in December 2022. Jenna’s "mini-me."
- Carmella Jean: February 2024. This was the birth where Jenna famously didn't even have time for an epidural. They got to the hospital at 11:30 PM, and she was born at 11:45 PM.
- Francesca (Frankie) Rose: The newest addition, born in August 2025.
That’s four kids. All very close in age. Jenna has joked on Instagram that six is the goal. Six! Most people struggle with a golden retriever and a toddler.
The Controversy That Won't Die
Despite the cute family photos and the holiday pajamas, people still argue about them. You can't mention Jenna Compono and Zach Nichols on Reddit without someone bringing up Zach’s old confessionals or his "misogynistic" comments from a decade ago.
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Zach has leaned into a bit of a "villain-turned-dad" persona on his podcast, The Zach Nichols Podcast. He’s blunt. He says things that make people mad. He once joked about not doing diapers because he "isn't the mom." Naturally, the internet lost its mind. Jenna, ever the loyal partner, jumped in to defend him, pointing out that he cleans the house top-to-bottom while she handles the kids.
It's a traditional dynamic that doesn't sit well with everyone, but they don't seem to care.
Will They Ever Go Back to The Challenge?
This is the big question. Every time a new season is announced, fans look for their names.
Zach has basically said he’s done. Between the podcast and the kids, he doesn't seem to have the itch to live in a house with 20-year-old influencers. Jenna is a different story. She’s hinted several times that she’d love to go back for one more run, maybe an All Stars season where the filming schedule is shorter.
But logistics are a nightmare. Who watches four kids under five while Mom goes to Vietnam for six weeks to jump off a crane?
What Most People Get Wrong
People think their relationship is "perfect" now because of the Instagram filter, or they think it's "toxic" because of the 2016 footage. The reality is probably somewhere in the boring middle.
They grew up.
Zach is 37 now. Jenna is 33. The people we saw screaming at each other on Total Madness were stressed-out versions of themselves being poked by producers. Today, they’re just two parents trying to figure out how to get four kids out the door without losing a shoe.
What you can learn from the Nichols family:
- Geography matters: Sometimes a relationship needs a fresh start away from the "scene" that created the drama.
- People evolve: Holding someone to who they were at 23 is a recipe for resentment.
- Define your own roles: They don't follow a modern "equal labor" split that fits a 2026 TikTok trend, but it works for their household.
If you’re looking for a takeaway, it’s that reality TV isn’t always the end of the story. For Jenna and Zach, it was just the prologue.
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To keep up with their day-to-day chaos, your best bet is following Jenna’s Instagram for the "real" side of parenting four toddlers, or tuning into Zach’s podcast if you want to hear his unfiltered (and often polarizing) takes on the current state of The Challenge.