Trey Plutnicki, aka Player 301, has spoken out about backlash toward Ashley (278) in Squid Game: The Challenge and revealed the “truth” of what went down in Glass Bridge.
How far would you go to win $4.56 million? It’s the question that’s driven players to the edge in Squid Game: The Challenge, Netflix’s big-budget reality TV adaptation of its blood-soaked phenomenon.
Of all the backstabbings and tense moments in the show so far, one stands out: Trey’s sacrifice in Glass Bridge, forced to keep going to give the rest of the players a chance after Ashley (Player 278) refused to play as everyone else appeared to agree.
While Ashley has since been eliminated ahead of the finale, fans have struggled to cool off on her actions in the game, and now Trey has addressed what happened.
Player 301 addresses Squid Game controversy
During Glass Bridge, Ashley refused to go in front of Trey and take the next gamble on the walkway, despite most of the contestants agreeing that players should only have to make that 50/50 choice once. Trey, rather heroically, jumped three times and fell on the third.
On Instagram, Trey shared a reel of another interview with Chad (286) and said: “I’m so glad Chad is talking about this from his perspective, and I’m very excited to talk about it from mine.
“First thing’s first, what Ashley says in her interviews… truth. What Chad said in this interview… absolute truth. What I’m about to say… also truth. It’s possible for three people to have three different truths, or three different truths that are happening at the same time.
“Between getting our number… and getting up on the Glass Bridge was a span of about four hours. In that time, we ate lunch, talked about the rules and what was and wasn’t allowed, and we talked about safety stuff. When we were talking about rules stuff, the question of time came up. Eventually, we came to the conclusion that time wasn’t really a factor because if the lower number players decide to hold up everyone else, nobody would get through. And, you know, that doesn’t make for very good TV, in my opinion.
“However, as a lower number player, when a higher number player was asking these questions and trying to make it like time wasn’t going to be an issue, I was frustrated because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, am I ruining my last chance to make it through here?’ I had already made peace with going, it was four hours, I was ready to go home. So I’m spiralling, I’m upset, and Chad sits next to me… and goes, ‘You just gotta do what you gotta do.'”
Trey then explained that the higher-numbered players weren’t so keen on the plan, given it doesn’t benefit them as much as the other contestants. “Silence isn’t agreeing, by the way,” he said.
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Trey speaks out on Ashley Squid Game backlash
After his “cryptic” questions to the rest of the players, he then said he wasn’t looking for Ashley specifically to overtake, but anyone who’d be willing to step ahead of him. He defended Ashley, arguing that it wasn’t “her job” to take his jump.
“I have given her more of a chance to speak up and execute the plan… but if she sees an unstoppable force in front of her, what is her job at that point? To make it to the next game,” he added.
“If I’m about to flash this bridge and give her a better chance of making it to the next game, why would she stop me? That’s just good gameplay. She sees momentum, she’s not gonna stop momentum and be like, ‘Um, actually, I wanna get eliminated.’
“Could she have spoken up and been a team player and participated in the plan? Sure, and I would have been happier for that. Should I have stopped and been like, ‘Ashley, can you overtake me?’ And if she said no, what would have happened? I don’t know. Should I have done that? Yeah, maybe.
“Ultimately, the reason you don’t see people getting mad at Ashley after the whole Glass Bridge thing is because most people perceived it to be that I was taking extra jumps – except for Mai, who was closer to the back and didn’t really understand why I made two jumps and didn’t make it through based on the plan.”
Trey has also asked fans to “stop giving Ashley hate… like jeez, it’s a game. Even if she did it on purpose, it’s nonsense to keep lambasting her with hate. Literally, the day after the episodes released, we were having a drink at the hotel bar, so just come off it. Obviously, do I wish she took my jumps? Maybe, but she also took her jump… after I took three.”
You can check out our exclusive interview with Player 277, who appeared to “disappear” halfway through the series, here.
Squid Game: The Challenge Episodes 1-9 are available to stream on Netflix now. You can check out our other coverage below:
- Squid Game: The Challenge all eliminations so far
- When is the last episode of Squid Game: The Challenge out?
- Squid Game: The Challenge release schedule
- Squid Game: The Challenge filming locations
- Squid Game: The Challenge reviews
- Is Squid Game: The Challenge real?
- Squid Game: The Challenge soundtrack
- How are players eliminated?
- Why Player 299 joined the show
- Did the players actually fall in Glass Bridge?
- Squid Game fans slam “coward” Player 278
- Players allegedly asked to “pretend” to compete
- Squid Game: The Challenge player details set conditions
- Squid Game: The Challenge producers hit back
- Squid Game: The Challenge contestants threaten lawsuit
- Squid Game: The Challenge receives audience backlash
