"Buckwild" star Shain Gandee was found dead in his car yesterday in West Virginia. His body and two others were rescued from a 1984 Ford Bronco. He was 21.
While the police investigates the cause of death and his cast-mates grieve the late reality TV star, let's remember five other MTV young stars who left in the peak of their fame.
1. Ryan Dunn of "Jackass"
Known for crazy stunts like crashing golf carts in purpose and putting toy cars up his rectum, Dunn, like the rest of the "Jackass" crew, looked invincible. But in the summer of 2011, in what looked like yet another "Jackass" prank, Dunn crashed his Porsche and died instantly. Hours earlier, he had posted photos on Twitter of himself drinking with friends. He was 34.
2. Pedro Zamora of "The Real World: San Francisco"
Zamora was a mover and shaker even before he joined the cast of "The Real World: San Francisco" in 1993. Born in Cuba, he became infected with HIV in his teens and devoted his life to educate high school students on the risk and prevention of AIDS. He clashed with some of his cast-mates in "The Real World" because of his homosexuality and condition, most notably Rachel Campos and David "Puck" Rainey. He passed away in 1994, at 22, hours after the last episode of "The Real World" had been aired.
3. Frankie Abernathy of "The Real World: San Diego"
Frankie Abernathy was a cast-mate of "The Real World: San Diego" in 2003, and she suffered from cystic fibrosis since the age of three. She showed many symptoms while on the show, such as difficult breathing and immune-system impairment. Her disease was her main storyline -- one of her sayings was "tomorrow is a privilege, so live today like tomorrow isn't happening." She died in June 2007, at 25, from complications with the illness.
4. Joey Kovar of "The Real World: Hollywood"
Another "Real World" alumnus, Joey Kovar was found dead in his apartment in Chicago in August 2012. The aspiring actor was 29 years old, and the cause of his death was deemed an overdose. Kovar battled his addictions while on "The Real World," even leaving the show midway to attend rehab.
5. Kandice Hutchinson of MTV's "Double Shot of Love"
Hutchinson took part in the MTV racy contest "Double Shot of Love," in which two bisexual twin sisters looked for a partner. A short time after shooting her last appearances on the show, Hutchinson, then 22, died in a car accident in Texas. She reportedly lost control of her Mazda and was ejected from the driver's seat for not wearing a seat belt. MTV decided to keep her footage, but cut off the raunchiest scenes for respect to the family.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
