High Drama: 16 Reality Shows With Real Life Scandals

The seemingly never-ending carousel of reality programming is in full swing with VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood drawing 2.2 million viewers for the week ending October 25 alone.

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But aside from the run of the mill drama of who Ray J did or didn’t smash or what became of Nikki confrontation with Mally Mall, some reality shows have seen the type of real life scandal that involves lawsuits, jail time and even death when the cameras are off. Take a look at 16 reality shows with real life scandals.

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In April of 2013, MTV canceled the reality show Buckwild in the middle of its second season after cast member Shain Gandee and a friend were found dead in a vehicle from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Chris Bosh of the NBA’s Miami Heat sued Shed Media—then producers of VH1’s Basketball Wives—and Allison Mathis who is the mother of one of Bosh’s children for allegedly infringing his trademark and publicity rights. Mathis was let go from the show and reached a settlement with Bosh after a countersuit.

The Real World: Hollywood cast member Joey Kovar never beat the drug addiction that caused him to leave the show and enter rehab. After a 2009 stint on Celebrity Rehab, Kovar died in 2012 from an apparent overdose.

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Phil Harris suffered from a stroke on a televised episode of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch in January of 2010 and died in a hospital from complications just over a week later.

Jessie Nizewitz filed lawsuit against Viacom and Dating Naked producers Lighthearted Entertainment and Firelight Entertainment after not having her vagina and anus blurred out for cameras on the VH1 show Dating Naked.

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After his 2007 felony gun conviction, T.I. teamed with MTV to film the 45 days before he entered prison. The byproduct, Road To Redemption, spawned a lawsuit from the family of a man whose corpse was televised during the first episode.

In 2013, Gerald Babin died from what was diagnosed as a heart attack during a shipwreck challenge of the show Koh-Lanta, also known Survivor: France.

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Tanya Cooley and producers of MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge settled a 2013 lawsuit that found Cooley suing the producers for wrongful termination and sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Employment And Housing Act.

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On Friday, TMZ reported TLC was canceling Here Comes Honey Boo Boo amid allegations “Mama” June Shannon endangered her children by dating convicted sex offender Mark McDaniel.

Tori Spelling is sending selfies from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ER with a hashtag on her surgical mask due to reportedly suffering a nervous breakdown. This comes on the heels of the star of Lifetime’s True Tori having an Ebola scare.

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The Discovery Channel is facing multiple lawsuits after a helicopter crashed into a Los Angeles canyon in February of 2013 causing all four passengers to die during the filming of a military-themed reality show.

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Wildlife expert Steve Irwin died during the 2006 filming of a documentary tentatively entitled Ocean’s Deadliest. Irwin died after being repeatedly stung in the chest by a stingray, which reportedly punctured one of his lungs.

In February of 2013, Salwa Almin of MTV’s Buckwild was arrested on two counts of drug possession with intent to deliver after being accused of transporting oxycodone and heroin.

During a September, 2013 arrest, Nathan Griffith of Teen Mom 2 was arrested for arrested for a DUI, speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road, resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license following the incident. He allegedly told authorities he was trying to have sex in the car with fellow cast mate Jenelle Evans.

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Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member Teresa Giudice has been ordered to serve 15 months for bankruptcy and conspiracy fraud after she and her husband admitted to hiding assets and failing to pay upwards of $200,000 in taxes.

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Ashley “A.J.” Jewell, the ex-fiancée of Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burress, died after a 2009 brawl at Atlanta strip club Body Tap. Fredrick Richardson was charged with voluntary manslaughter after Jewell sustained injuries from being hit in the head with a glass bottle.