31 of The Darkest Moments In The History Of Reality TV

When the real gets a little too real
31 of The Darkest Moments In The History Of Reality TV
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We’d like to give reality show producers the benefit of the doubt, but there really has been too many examples of “anything for the shot” type moments — especially in the earlier days of the medium. Things tend to get a little more regulated as time goes on, but maybe there’s just no stopping the darker side of reality TV when the entire goal is to amp up the drama. 

Either way, all we can do is hope that current and future shows learn lessons from examples like these.

Survivor

CRACKED.COM A contestant died during the filming of Survivor. In 2013, 25-year-old Gerald Babin suffered a heart attack while participating in a tug-of- war challenge on the first day of shooting France's Survivor Koh Lanta. OUTPLAY OUTWIT SURVIVOR KOH-LANTA OUTLAST A couple weeks later, Dr. Thierry Costa, who treated Babin, committed suicide. The doctor left a suicide note that pointed to the media blaming him for the contestant's death. The season was quickly cancelled.

Fear Factor

Needing cash to fund their next music project, brothers Matthew and Nathan Leone went on Fear factor and it nearly KILLED THEM. The twins contracted a FLESH-EATING DISEASE while performing a stunt involving swimming in a trench filled with maggot infested cow parts and drinking a cocktail of its contents. We were hours from dying, said Matthew. Yes, the brothers did end up winning. CRACKED.COM AA A A ALA

Megan Wants a Millionaire

CRACKED.COM M MEGAN WANTS A MILLIONAIRE Ryan Jenkins, a man with a history of domestic violence, slipped past background checks to appear on the VH1 reality dating show Megan Wants a Millionaire-and it gets worse from there. VH1 pulled the show mid-season after police implicated Jenkins in the murder of his ex-wife. Days later Jenkins hanged himself, prompting VH1 to deep-six the show for good.

Dangerous Waters

CRACKED.COM DANGEROUS WATERS WAS A REALITY SHOW ABOUT AN ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE GLOBE ON JET SKIS. DURING THE BERING STRAIT LEG OF - THEIR TRIP, THE CREW WANDERED INTO A MILITARY ZONE, AND WERE DETAINED FOR 4 DAYS BY RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES.

Death on a Discovery Channel Set

David Gibbs, Darren Rydstrom and Michael Donatelli died in a helicopter crash in Polsa Rosa Ranch in Acton during the production of a Discovery Channel's military-themed reality TV show. David Gibbs Darren Rydstrom Michael Donatelli The segment was filmed at night, and the pilot had trouble seeing the terrain because of the camera light. CRACKED.COM

America’s Next Top Model

CRACKED COM top AMERICA'S NEXT model An official complaint filed by a former contestant accused the show of a range of horrors: Forcing contestants to film nonstop for double-digit hours, forbidding them from eating or drinking or leaving a room at certain times and even withholding medical care to generate drama!

Suicides Among Bachelor/Bachelorette Contestants

So far three former contestants of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have killed themselves. ALEXA MCALLISTER, GIA ALLEMAND, JULIEN HUG, OVERDOSED IN 2016 HANGED HERSELF IN 2013 SHOT HIMSELF IN 2010 According to Bachelorette winner Jesse Csincsak, contestants are humiliated on the shows and attract labels like the slut, the loser, or the drunk. Bachelor is one of the most dangerous shows. GRAGKED.COM

Top Chef

Seth Caro had an anxiety attack during the first season of TOP CHEF Just Desserts TEA THE - - the The incident made the show. What didn't was the aftermath. After being tended to by EMTs, he was taken to a mental hospital where he stayed involuntarily for three days. Caro has said he's been unable to find work in the industry since leaving the show and is working on changing his name. CRACKED.COM

Armed and Famous

ARMED CRDSCRACKED.COM LINE NOT DO & HCE ARMEDIAN AND FAMOUS POLICWASTA Famous DO NOT short lived CBS reality show. where a S ULIO D list celebrities (yeah. absolute nobodies) LINE GEL were trained to become police officers. THESE 'COPS' RAIDED LYNDSAY CLEMENTS' HOME WITH A TELEVISION CREW, CUFFED HER AND TRASHED HER ENTIRE HOME, ONLY TO REALIZE THEY HAD THE WRONG ADDRESS. CITY OF MUNCIE A $1MILLION LAWSUIT WAS FILED CITYSHALI DICIDEPARTMENT AGAINST THE SHOW WITH THE COURT REMINDING CBS THAT THE POLICE IS NOT A CIRCUS. MUNCH O IMAGINE CALLING 911 AND GETTING THESE GUYS.

Drowning on a Pakistani Reality Show

Saad Khan, 32, drowned while trying to complete a challenge in a Pakistani reality TV show. Swimming across a lake with a 15-pound backpack, he started drowning and called for help. Cast and crew members rushed to save him, but they weren't fast enough. His body was later recovered by divers. CRACKED.COM

The Swan

Lorrie Arias underwent an extreme makeover on The Swan, but now she doesn't leave her house except to see her therapist every few months. Des Deux Koor gg BEFORE AFTER A decade after all the plastic surgery, she suffers from bipolar depression and agoraphobia, and her pre-existing body dysmorphic disorder. She blames the show for failing to offer therapy after the makeover. CRACKED.COM

Catch a Contractor

After a dismal bathroom renovation, Rochelle Kirk and Scott Waters signed up for Catch a Contractor, a reality show with the goal of repairing mistakes caused by the original contractor. Months later, the family were experiencing assorted aches, fatigue, and rashes. Investigation revealed the TV show's own contractors were responsible for the spillage of 200 gallons of raw sewage into the floors of their home and the couple filed a lawsuit against the show (and had to suffer through a third remodel). CRACKED.COM

True Life: Addicted to Pills

David Nickell appeared on MTV's True life: Addicted to Pills where among other things he was filmed buying and supplying others with drugs. Soon after the episode aired he was arrested on drug and other charges and served seven months. After his release he sued MTV, claiming that one of the show's producers had convinced him to behave as he had done by promising he wouldn't get into trouble. CRACKED.COM

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Tyra Sanchez tried to commit suicide after being bullied online for two years, following his appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race. I was fed up, is how he described the drunken, lonely moment when he tried to take his life. CRACKED.COM

Gran Hermano

CRACKED.COM م N mass atorodrama lunes 22 D ANA TORO: NO TENGO NINGÚN FAMILIAR NI NADIE QUE DELUXE ME AYUDE. TODOS MIS AMIGOS HAN DESAPARECIDO After participating on the Spanish Ц Brother), Ana Toro was shunned by her reality show Gran Hermano (Big n father and forced to live in a hospice.

Outed on Survivor

OUTPLAY OUTWIT SURVIVOR GAME CHANGERS MAMANUCA ISLANDS OUTLAST In 2017, Zeke Smith was outed as transgender by an angry tribemate during a tense Tribal Council. Having such private information revealed to the world was deeply CRACKED.COM traumatic for him.

Extreme Makeover

Deleese Williams was slated to appear on an episode of Extreme Makeover with the promise of plastic surgery to improve her face. In preparation for the episode, the show's producer coerced Deleese's family members to verbally abuse her looks on camera. That surgery was ultimately cancelled. Riddled with guilt, Deleese's sister couldn't deal with the hurtful things she had said and committed suicide. CRACKED.COM

Operacion Triunfo

GRACKED.COM Geno Machado, a participant on the Spanish reality-talent show Operacion Triunfo (Triumph Operation), claimed that the show didn't prepare her to handle her new fame and fortune, and the stress of going broke afterward caused her to lose her hair.

Britain’s Got Talent

BRITAIN'S GOT IXLENT Alyn James was a contestant who had been judged to be under a serious risk of suicide on seven occasions, and despite the producers' knowledge of his vulnerability, he was invited to the televised audition anyway. As a result, he was mocked by the judges and the audience and was once again placed under suicide watch. GRACKED.COM

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

CRACKED.COM Bryan Okvath and his family were surprised to have their house turned into a two-story mansion on the ABC show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. However, they struggled for the next couple of years to keep up with the 'extreme' bills and high property taxes caused by the renovations, and finally ended up selling the house at a loss.

The Real Housewives of D.C.

Even though he was only a background player, Charles Ommanney's life was ruined after appearing on The Real Housewives of D.C. THE SHOW TOOK A TOLL ON HIS CAREER, AND ENDED HIS MARRIAGE. CRACKED.COM

The Most Armed Man In America

While filming a promotional video for their Discovery CHANNEL reality show Terry Flanell, wife of Mel Bernstein SHOOTIN RANGE (The most armed man SAGON ARK A in America) was killed by an exploding smoke bomb. Bernstein sued the Discovery Channel for negligence but the case was dropped. CRACKED COM

COPS

COPS The reality show is deeply unsettling when you realize it's just exploitative reality show copaganda. CRACKED.COM

The Wanted Life

The Wanted let reality TV beef creep into real life The WANTED Life. CRACKED.CO Their 2013 E! reality show, The Wanted Life, wound up blurring the lines between reality and reality. Producers had one dude's wife move into the band's house, which -- who could have seen this coming??- created an insurmountable rift between band members.

Source: Mirror

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