'The Surreal Life': The Sordid, Sad and Criminal Lives of Past Stars

No, you haven't traveled back to 2006 in your sleep: VH1's The Surreal Life is back for a seventh season after 16 years.

The reality television series, which groups eight celebrities together to live in a Hollywood mansion, was known for being eccentric and dramatic, and the show's newest season promises the same melodramatics with a whole new cast.

In the reboot, which is set to premiere on October 24, the mansion will house former NBA legend Dennis Rodman, along with singer and Celebrity Big Brother star Tamar Braxton, musician August Alsina, YouTuber Manny Mua, Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz, pro wrestler C.J. Perry, Living Single actress Kim Coles, and adult film star and author Stormy Daniels.

frankie muniz dennis rodman stormy daniels
Above, left to right, Frankie Muniz at the 5th annual People Magazine "Ones To Watch" party on October 4, 2017, in Los Angeles; Dennis Rodman poses at the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Horse Race January... Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, Lynne Sladky/AP, Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

The Surreal Life premiered back in 2003 and ran for six seasons before coming to an end in 2006, but not all of the celebs who came out of the mansion stayed on the straight and narrow, and some have passed away since the show ended.

Here is a look at some of the previous cast members who have had tragic or sordid pasts since their appearances on the show.

Ron Jeremy

Adult film star Ron Jeremy, 68, was a guest on The Surreal Life from 2004-2005 but was arrested in June 2020 and indicted in August 2021 on 34 counts of sexual assault.

The charges dated back as far as 1996 and involved alleged victims ranging in age from 15 to 51. There were 21 different witnesses who had come forward to allege they were assaulted by Jeremy, and a dozen charges were counts of forcible assault. Jeremy, whose legal name is Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, pleaded not guilty.

Adult Film Star Ron Jeremy Charged With
Above, Adult film star Ron Jeremy appears for arraignment on rape and sexual assault charges at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on June 26, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Jeremy was a celebrity guest... David McNew/Getty Images

According to court documents, many of the assaults were said to have taken place at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, a restaurant in West Hollywood where Jeremy was reportedly a regular.

In May of this year, Jeremy's court proceedings were suspended on account of Jeremy's lawyer raising questions regarding Jeremy's mental health.

Alexis Arquette

Alexis Arquette
Above, Actress Alexis Arquette arrives at the series premiere of "Hung" at the Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios lot on June 24, 2009, in Hollywood, California. Arquette was a guest on the show "The... Mark Sullivan/WireImage

Actor Alexis Arquette, born Robert Arquette, was on The Surreal Life from 2004 to 2006 alongside The Jeffersons' Sherman Hemsley and the lead singer of Smash Mouth. At the same time, she was battling a positive HIV diagnosis and working through her decision to transition to a female.

While she became somewhat of a trans role model in 2006 before the mainstream conversation began, her health began to deteriorate due to complications from HIV, and on September 11, 2016, she passed away.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, prior to her death, she said in a video filmed by one of her closest friends, Sham Ibrahim, "If I was a gambling lady and I wanted to make a bet of what life would be like after death, it's sort of like a tear in the ocean. They say that energy never goes away, but I don't know if that's true."

Hugh Hefner

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner was a member of the show in 2003, but more recently, Hefner's former girlfriend, Holly Madison has spoken out about her often "nonconsensual" and "gross" sexual experiences with Hefner, who died in 2017.

The Playboy mogul was endlessly controversial, with many allegations of rape and sexual harassment coming out after his death, many of which are discussed in the ten-part docuseries on A&E titled Secrets of Playboy, which came out earlier this year.

60 Playmate Bunnies Celebrate Playboy's 60th Anniversary
Above, Hugh Hefner poses at Playboy's 60th Anniversary special event on January 16, 2014, in Los Angeles, California. He was a guest on the reality show "The Surreal Life" in 2003, and there have been... Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Playboy

Madison dated Hefner—who was in his 70s when she moved into the Playboy Mansion at 21—in the early 2000s, and she recalled in a recent episode of her podcast, Girls Next Level, that he would often use baby oil as lubricant without Madison's consent.

"Which is so foul and so nonconsensual and so gross," she said. "I had forgotten about that for the longest time, but I was reminded of it for some reason and it made me angry all over again."

Andy Dick

Comedian Andy Dick, 56, was a guest on three episodes of The Surreal Life from 2004-2005, but he appears to have developed a life of crime since then.

The Comedy Central Roast Of James Franco
Above, Actor Andy Dick attends The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco at Culver Studios on August 25, 2013, in Culver City, California. Andy Dick was on three episodes of "The Surreal Life" in 2004-2005,... Lester Cohen/WireImage

Most recently, Dick was arrested at a campground in Orange County, California, in May after a man reported a possible sexual assault to Orange County officials. He was arrested on suspicion of sexual battery and was released a few days later. No charges were filed, as police stated at the time that the victim was being "uncooperative."

According to NBC News, Daniel Kapelovitz, an attorney for Dick, called the case "totally bogus" at the time and said his client is often falsely accused.

The comedian was also accused of groping a male ride-share driver in West Hollywood in 2018, and he was charged the next year with misdemeanor sexual battery.

He was also arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon in Los Angeles in 2021 and was released from custody after posting a $50,000 bond.

Other members from past seasons of The Surreal Life have passed away in recent years:

  • Verne Troyer, who was on the show in 2005, died in 2018 and was known for his role of Mini-Me in Austin Powers;
  • Tawny Kitaen, known for Malibu and California Girls passed away in 2021 and was on the show in 2006;
  • Florence Henderson, best known for her role as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch, was on the show in 2006 as well, and passed away in 2016;
  • Sherman Hemsley, known for his roles in All in the Family and The Jeffersons, was also on the show in 2006 and passed away in 2012.

Newsweek reached out to a representative for Jeremy and The Surreal Life for comment.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more

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