20 Celebrities Who Destroyed Their Careers on Reality TV

#20: Jon & Kate Gosselin

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In 2007, after the success of some specials detailing their lives with sextuplets and twins, Jon and Kate Gosselin secured a long-term series. Originally known as “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” the show was a big success for TLC...until 2009. At that point, Jon and Kate had split and were going through a messy divorce. The show then became a place where a lot of their dirty laundry was aired publicly. Police interventions, lawsuits, custody battles, and affairs were just some of the issues that were put in the spotlight. After the show ended in 2017, neither Jon nor Kate Gosselin reached the same level of Hollywood fame.

Arriving in the jungle for the UK’s “I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!” in 2010, Gillian McKeith was seen as a quirky TV presenter. After all, she had hosted various health shows and been obsessed with a certain human bodily function, gaining her infamy. But this tv appearance was bad for her career health. On top of complaining a lot, McKeith became infamous for her dramatically fainting when she was chosen to do a live trial. After being voted off, McKeith fell into relative obscurity. She still was willing to give a South African season of the show that made her infamous a try in 2023. However, McKeith was quickly voted off.

Starting as a backup singer for Mariah Carey in 1992, Kelly Price became a breakout star when she released a series of albums and singles from 1998. By 2013, she signed up to feature in the show “R&B Divas: Los Angeles,” a spin-off of “R&B Divas: Atlanta.” Price was criticized for coming across as confrontational and mean. As such, social media was rife with anti-Price messages. Shortly after it aired, the singer spoke in interviews that the show’s producers skewered her behavior to make her look bad. After one season, Price left the show. She’s only had a handful of musical successes since.

In the first series of “Love Island”, a dramatic love triangle between ex-footballer Lee Sharpe, model Abi Titmuss, and TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss emerged. The situation made for a lot of drama and put all three figures firmly in the spotlight. Although Middlemiss won the competition, she didn’t find instant success. It might’ve had something to do with insulting Titmuss regularly on the show, something she later described as coming across as a “jealous 12-year-old.” While she appeared in other programs, Middlemiss’s tv appearances become more sporadic after 2013. She instead focussed on her passion for yoga before hosting a show on Virgin Radio.

#16: David Otunga

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Nowadays, David Otunga is known as the former wrestler and ex of Jennifer Hudson. Yet back in 2007, he was a lawyer with the prestigious firm Sidley Austin. Otunga threw a curveball at his career prospects when he appeared under the nickname Punk on “I Love New York”. He actually made it to the final 3. Additionally, he quickly found success in the wrestling realm. While reality tv led to small screen fame, it allegedly strained his relationship with the firm. Fortunately for Otunga, he seemed happy to step back from full time law to pursue his other interests.

Everyone loves a villain on reality TV. And in season 16 of “The Bachelor,” that honor fell onto the shoulders of Courtney “I didn’t come here to make friends” Robertson. She regularly collided with the other contestants by insulting them and being aggressive in the pursuit of Ben Flajnik. In the end, Robertson’s approach paid off and she was proposed to. But after the show, Robertson received lots of negative messages from fans. She claimed she even had to shut off a modeling email account due to the flood of hate. In the end, the engagement was broken off and Robertson backed away from TV. But made the best of her setbacks by writing a best selling book about her experiences.

Many people have used reality shows as a stepping stone to their goal of becoming an actor. And that was the case for Karlie Redd when she signed on for “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” While on the show, she became known for clashing with castmates and stirring the pot. After becoming known as an antagonist, she tried to audition for a Tyler Perry project. According to Redd, producers rejected her based on her reality career. And she claims that wasn’t the only instance of being turned down to her past. Redd’s most high-profile acting role has been on the soap opera “Saints & Sinners.” If she had never appeared on “Love and Hip Hop”, it’s possible she might have nabbed even more notable roles.

Prior to appearing on “The Apprentice”, Newman worked in Vice President Al Gore’s office beforehand. But her public image shifted after this reality appearance. During the show, Newman seemingly sparked a working relationship with Donald Trump. They went on to collaborate on several projects like the infamous “Celebrity Apprentice”. Her rivalry with Piers Morgan and abrasive style caused her to be publicly disliked. On a larger scale, Newman was hired to work within Trump’s White House. But things spiraled for her after she was fired from the administration. Newman went on to take a number of public shots against Trump. At this point, it’s unclear if she can regain the reputation she had before teaming up with him on reality tv.

#12: Chris Bukowski

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After first appearing on season eight and then returning in season 10 of “The Bachelorette,” Chris Bukowski popped up in “Bachelor Pad” and multiple seasons of “Bachelor in Paradise.” But his time in the series wasn’t all sunshine and fun. Bukowski has spoken about the strain that being labeled as a villain of reality tv has put on him. At one point, he felt unable to run a restaurant due to the emotional and mental toll of being an entertainment star. After quitting the franchise for several years, Bukowski focused on other career goals. He eventually returned to win season 6 of “Bachelor in Paradise.” But for a time, Bukowksi’s career was in serious jeopardy.

At one point, Tyga was one of the hottest up-and-coming rappers around. But in 2014, rumors circulated that the mid 20s rapper was in a relationship with the 16 year old Kyle Jenner. The age of consent in California is 18. By the time the couple officially confirmed their relationship two years later, Tyga began appearing on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The show drew more attention to their criticized relationship. It got worse when an underage girl accused Tyga of contacting her repeatedly in 2016. After breaking up with Jenner in 2017 and leaving the show, Tyga’s music career floundered and hasn’t quite recovered to what it once was.

#10: Heidi Montag

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Bursting into the reality sphere with “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” and “The Hills,” Heidi Montag’s friendship with Lauren Conrad resonated with fans. But that all changed when Spencer Pratt joined the cast and started dating Montag. Over time, the relationship drove a wedge between the friends. Fans quickly grew sick of Montag and Pratt because the duo argued often. Additionally, Conrad accused the pair of starting a rumor that she had made an intimate video. By the time Pratt admitted to doing so later, the Montag/Conrad friendship was broken beyond repair. Montag and Pratt have toyed with the public about their relationship and appeared on several reality shows together since then. But their success outside of that specific tv format has been relatively limited.

In his early days, Marc Bannerman’s acting career looked to be taking off. He spent two years as a regular on UK soap opera “Eastenders” and followed it with the spin-off show “Footballers Wive$: Extra Time.” But everything fell apart when Bannerman entered the jungle in 2007 for “I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!” Although he was shown getting romantic with fellow contestant Cerys Matthews, he was dating Sarah Matravers at the time. After being the first to be voted off, his relationship with Matravers and his reputation were left in tatters. Bannerman’s career never recovered. Instead, he appeared in odd episodes of TV shows, films, and in “A Landscape of Lies”, a movie reportedly made as part of a tax fraud scheme.

If only Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson had left his temper on the football field. Problems started for Johnson, then a star player in the National Football League, when he struck up a relationship with Evelyn Lozada, cast member of the drama-filled reality series “Basketball Wives.” The two quickly tied the knot, but people were shocked when Chad was accused of head-butting Evelyn during an argument. Unsurprisingly, this spelled the end of the marriage, not to mention Ochocino’s career in the NFL. It’s also probably safe to say he won’t be making any reality TV appearances in the foreseeable future.

In the Spring of 2011, Kris Humphries was on top of the world. Not only was he a breakout player on the New Jersey Nets, but he was also engaged to perhaps the most famous celebrity around: Kim Kardashian. How things can change. Sure, Kris and Kim’s wedding was an extravagant two-part special on E!, causing a media frenzy in the process, BUT the holy union only lasted a measly 72 days – making it one of the shortest in Hollywood history. Mocked relentlessly by late-night hosts and anyone with a Twitter account, Humphries was now no longer a "basketball star," but simply "that guy who married Kim Kardashian on TV that one time."

Adrienne Bailon-Houghton carved out a name for herself as an actor and singer with Disney Channel’s franchise, “The Cheetah Girls”. She soon found herself in the reality limelight when she began dating Rob Kardashian in 2007. As a result, she appeared in their show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” Although they broke up a couple of years after he cheated, her brief appearance in the show tarnished Bailon-Houghton’s career. During one interview, she claimed that the show even harmed her working prospects. There was a time when she only acted in music videos and small productions. But in 2013, Bailon-Houghton began hosting “The Real,” which earned her several awards as she found a new role as a host.

#5: Jessica Simpson

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Okay, so Jessica Simpson isn’t the only pop star to get a bad rap on reality TV. But while others, like Britney Spears, were able to overcome their toxic TV experiences, Simpson wasn’t so lucky. It didn’t help that the show, “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” really put Simpson's naive personality on display, playing up her "dumb blonde" persona. Perhaps the most famous example of this comes when Jessica, snacking from a Chicken of the Sea tuna can, questions what it is she’s actually eating. And to be fair, Simpson’s then-husband, Nick Lachey, didn’t fare much better when the show, and their relationship, ended. But hey, at least they got to kick off that MTV relationship curse!

He’s body-slammed a giant, battled an Ultimate Warrior, and led a New World Order – but the one thing Hulk Hogan was unable to conquer? Reality TV. The VH1 series, “Hogan Knows Best,” put the spotlight on the Hulkster’s family life, including his relationship with then-wife Linda. The couple’s problems became obvious throughout the show, however, leading to a nasty divorce shortly after its cancellation. Making matters worse, Hogan’s son Nick got in a car accident, seriously injuring his friend and landing him jail time. According to Hulk himself, the show exasperated the family’s troubles. Apparently Hogan didn’t quite know best when agreeing to a reality show.

#3: Kanye West

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Did anyone really expect Kanye West to NOT appear on “Keeping up with The Kardashians?” It’s no secret that West loves the spotlight! Whether it’s giving an impromptu performance on the “SNL” stage or crashing an award show acceptance speech, Kanye is all about, well, Kanye. And so, popping up on his then-wife’s mega-hit reality show was inevitable. Unfortunately, many said his appearances on the program led to overexposure, taking his status down a notch. Though his subsequent controversial behavior off the show also contributed to this, his mental health issues shouldn't be ignored, either. There's no denying that numerous fans and critics wished the rapper would lay off the show altogether, however.

Upon her public arrival, and subsequent exit from “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” Caitlyn Jenner became a strong voice for the often voiceless, championing the transgender community on her own reality show, “I Am Cait.” Caitlyn was a renowned inspiration! That all changed, however, when Jenner revealed she was a Ted Cruz and President Trump supporter. Caitlyn’s fans found her opinions to be hypocritical - especially considering Cruz was a vocal supporter of the controversial anti-trans "bathroom bills." Angry and disappointed, viewers stopped watching in droves, and “I Am Cait” got canceled after only two short seasons. Did no one tell Caitlyn that with great power comes great responsibility?

Lamar Odom was a well-respected player for the Los Angeles Lakers when he started dating Khloe Kardashian and appearing regularly on her family’s popular reality series. It wasn’t long before the couple spun off their own show, launching themselves into celebrity power couple territory. Things quickly fell apart, however, when Khloe filed for divorce amid infidelity rumors and Lamar went down a dark rabbit hole of substance use disorder that nearly cost him his life. No longer with the NBA, Odom has been fighting an uphill battle to get his life back on track ever since. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that perhaps dating a Kardashian can be hazardous to one’s health! Which celebrity career actually improved due to being on reality TV? Let us know below!