Fans grow to know and love reality TV stars as real people, not as characters — which makes the loss hit even harder.
In recent years, stars from The Deadliest Catch, The Real World, Survivor, The Real Housewives, Buckwild, and The Bachelorette have died suddenly and tragically.
In some cases, the production of the show is massively impacted. In April 2013, MTV hit pause on the production of Buckwild, a reality series that followed nine young adults in West Virginia, after the death of star Shain Gandee.
The reality star, along with his uncle and friend, were found dead after an off-roading accident. Gandee was 21 years old. According to the West Virginia Sheriff’s Department, the group died of carbon monoxide poisoning when the vehicle got stuck in the mud.
The show was canceled one week following the death, and the first part of season 2 was never aired.
Scroll through the gallery below for more heartbreaking reality TV tragedies:
