Top 10 Reality Stars Who Fell Off The Map
#10: Clay Aiken “American Idol” (2002-)
This North Carolina crooner came in second place on the second season of American Idol. Soon after, he hit the number one spot on the Billboard 200 with his debut album Measure of a Man. Once he hit stardom, Aiken made several appearances on Broadway and on screen, including Celebrity Apprentice— where he also placed second. His popularity was truly cemented when his fans, a.k.a. ‘Claymates’ created subgroups such as ‘Claynadians’, ‘Clayropeans’, and ‘Claysians’. Nowadays, Aiken is once again out to win votes by running for Representative of his home district. If elected, Aiken would be the first openly gay person from the South elected to Congress.
#9: Spencer & Heidi Pratt “The Hills” (2006-10)
They’re arguably the most notorious couple in reality television history. Speidi’s relationship blossomed on the hit MTV series “The Hills”, as the sweet, innocent girl from Colorado fell madly in love with the rich bad boy. The couple made a name for themselves due to their outrageous behavior on reality show appearances such as “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!”, “Celebrity Big Brother”, and “Marriage Boot Camp”. Heidi also flirted with a music career with her 2010 album “Superficial”. Although this foray cost Speidi millions of dollars, her passion hasn’t waned. Her most recent release is a Christian pop single, "Glitter and Glory". Spencer has been making chaotic TikToks, such as one where he pushes a giant block of meat in a wheelchair.
#8: Brooke Hogan “Hogan Knows Best” (2005-07)
We watched the daughter of former WWE icon Hulk Hogan grow into adulthood on VH-1’s “Hogan Knows Best”. During the show, Brooke worked on her music career and dealt with her overbearing father who, at one point, installed a GPS device in her car. Her most popular single, “About Us” featuring Paul Wall, managed to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since become a cult classic amongst pop-heads. She then received her own spin-off and has made other attempts over the years to recapture the achievements from her debut album, with little success. Aside from growing an AirBnB renovation company called BB Designs, Brooke has been hinting at new music in production. Perhaps her brother Nick could slip her next song into his DJ set.
#7: The Gotti Kids “Growing Up Gotti” (2004-05)
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Known for their foul-mouthed shenanigans on the short-lived A&E reality series Growing Up Gotti, this trio of brothers descends from the late mafia boss John Gotti. After building a small but loyal following, the show was canceled after three seasons due to low ratings. Ten years later, middle brother John had a lovely wedding, where he managed to make $2.5 million from guests, who were required to bring a gift that was no less than a humble $5,000. He now has a son, Johnny, whom he’s described as his “greatest accomplishment”. The other two siblings are very low-key these days working at their family’s auto shop. From what we can tell, they seem to remain very close.
#6: Danity Kane “Making The Band 3” (2005-06)
After competing against several other talented performers, this five-member girl group was hand-picked by Diddy on MTV’s reality show Making The Band 3. The subsequent seasons followed the group as they recorded their debut and sophomore albums. However, tensions grew within the group, and Diddy eventually kicked out Aubrey O'Day and D. Woods. The group disbanded in 2009, but attempted a comeback in 2013. Alas, a physical altercation between O'Day and Dawn Richard put those plans on hold for several years. In 2018, they launched a second comeback, but it was short-lived. By 2020, Danity Kane had become a duo, with O’Day and Richard releasing a further three singles.
#5: Kate Gosselin “Jon & Kate Plus 8” (2007-17)
As an early pioneer of the can-I-speak-to-the-manager haircut, this matriarch of the super-sized family entertained viewers with her strict parenting style and idiosyncratic criticisms of her husband. Amid rumors of infidelity, Jon and Kate separated and he left the show. Kate continued the series as “Kate Plus 8” which was focused on her raising the children by herself. Since the show wrapped, Kate starred in “Kate Plus Date” where she tried to reenter the dating world under the guidance of her two daughters. It’s unclear if we’ll get to see another season, as it seems that she has since retired from showbiz. Kate was last spotted living her best life in North Carolina, where she got her nursing license.
#4: Stacy London “What Not To Wear” (2003-13)
This stylish host spent ten years on the TLC hit “What Not To Wear” teaching people how to find their true sense of style. Stacy and co-host Clinton Kelly would surprise unsuspecting fashion flops and subject them to a crash course in style training that always included a visit to the horrifying 360-degree mirror. Since the show wrapped, Stacy and Clinton aren’t on the best of terms despite their bubbly relationship on camera. The two have traded icy comments about their indifference to each other. In 2019 she announced that she was in a serious relationship with musician Cat Yezbak. Together, they run a vintage resale page on Instagram that’s a treasure trove of beautiful home goods.
#3: Lo Bosworth “The Hills” (2006-10)
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After debuting on MTV’s “Laguna Beach”, Lo Bosworth and her friends moved to “The Hills”, for which she’s best known. After the show ended, Bosworth earned a culinary degree from the prestigious International Culinary Center. In 2013 she put her experience as a reality star to use by creating a beauty channel on YouTube. However, 2016 saw her pivot again, founding a company focused on women’s health called Love Wellness, which sells various vitamins and supplements. Her YouTube channel has since been relaunched to promote the company.
#2: Adrianne Curry “America’s Next Top Model” (2003-18)
This former reality star was the first contestant to nab the title of “America’s Next Top Model”, stunning the judges with her smoldering looks and high-caliber charm. After riding the Top Model wave, she joined the cast of “The Surreal Life”, where she met her future husband Christopher Knight— yes, as in Peter Brady. The two had their own show on VH-1 that followed their tumultuous relationship. The show’s cancellation was followed by the couple’s divorce, and Adrianne suggested Chris should never get married again. Now, Adrianne is happily remarried in Montana where she and her husband plan to raise chickens and live completely off the grid. It’s probably a welcome change of pace from the chaotic world of Hollywood.
#1: Tila Tequila “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila” (2007-08)
Long before the reign of influencers and bloggers as we know them today, this infamous entertainer was the most popular artist on Myspace with more than 31.5 million views. In 2007 she starred in the first bisexual dating show titled “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila”. After only two seasons, the show was cut short and Tila gave music another shot, without much luck. Eventually, she was cast on the sixteenth season of “Celebrity Big Brother”, but was expelled after one day when anti-semitic posts resurfaced. Since then, she’s only entered the spotlight sporadically, with controversial remarks and nonsensical vlogs as “Tornado Thien”.
