These Forgotten Reality Stars Are Still Living Their Best Lives

Anna Quintana - Author
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Apr. 27 2020, Updated 11:12 a.m. ET

forgotten reality stars
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The golden age of reality television has come and gone. Sure, Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Big Brother are still going strong — but when it comes to reality stars, they just don't make them like they used to. The late '90s and early '00s saw an explosion of reality programming and along with it, everyday people who got their 15 minutes (or more) of fame. 

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Take for example, Joe Millionaire star Evan Marriott, who went from construction worker to heartthrob. Or Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who parlayed an appearance on Survivor into a 10-year hosting gig on The View. To this day, we are still asking ourselves, "What happened to Brooke Hogan?" Is she still creating pop music somewhere with her wrestling pro dad Hulk Hogan cheering her on? We sure hope so. 

From The Osbournes to Rock of Love, there was a reality show for everyone — and there was no questioning whether the stars were just hoping for an Instagram endorsement after the cameras stopped rolling. Reality television was pure, and TBH, we might never see TV like that ever again. However, that doesn't mean those somewhat forgotten reality stars are watching reruns of their shows in a nostalgic daze. In fact, many of them are living their best lives right now. 

Keep scrolling to see what your favorite reality stars are doing today!

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Brooke Hogan

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In 2006, Brooke, the oldest daughter of Hulk Hogan, was on the top of the world with her own reality show (Hogan Knows Best) and her debut album Undiscovered, featuring the hit song "About Us." Fast forward a decade, and Brooke is not making headlines like she used to, but she hasn't stopped making music. 

The now 30-year-old beauty released her country single “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend" in 2015 and, more recently, hosted reality competition The Fashion Hero. Plus, you can still follow her on Instagram where she recently reminisced about winning Best Grill at the Teen Choice Awards. Good times. 

Ty Pennington 

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ty pennington today
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The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host was known for his over-the-top personality on the reality series that gave deserving families completely renovated homes (we can see still hear him yelling, "Move that bus!"). However, Ty shocked fans when he was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving in 2010 and issued an apology shortly after. 

"I made an error in judgment. We all make mistakes, however this is about accountability," he said in a statement at the time. "Under no circumstances should anyone consume alcohol while driving. I could have jeopardized the lives of others and I am grateful there was no accident or harm done to anyone. This was my wake-up call. I also want to apologize to my fans, ABC Television and my design team for my lapse in judgment and the embarrassment I have caused." 

Fast forward a few years and it seems all is forgotten because Ty is returning for the Trading Spaces reboot in 2018!

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Aimee Osbourne

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The oft-forgotten Osbourne sibling made a conscious decision to avoid reality TV cameras on her family's hit show — and moved out at the age of 16. However, she is following in her famous father's footsteps and pursuing a music career. Today, she is releasing music under her stage name ARO (her initials), and describes her sound as "cinematic, haunting, and atmospheric." 

Joe Millionaire aka Evan Marriott 

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joe millionaire today
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The premise was simple: Convince twenty women that Evan inherited millions of dollars and is looking for a bride. The secret, that Evan is actually just a hot (but broke) construction worker, was ultimately revealed to the last remaining woman, who luckily chose to stay with him. While the couple went on to split $1 million, their relationship did not last very long. 

Evan eventually disappeared from the limelight, but he reassured fans he was doing OK following his stint as a reality star. "I started a business for myself, and everything is great. I did my first job, I got it and literally almost was in tears. I called my dad and said, ‘I feel like I’ve just been paroled. This is where I should have been,'" he said, according to People magazine.

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Elisabeth Hasselbeck 

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Elisabeth took her 15 minutes of fame — and turned it into a bonafide career. The mother-of-three went from Survivor contestant to host on The View, where she remained for a decade. Today, the 41-year-old is still a proud conservative and the founder of Nogii, a gluten-free protein snack. 

Bam Magera 

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From Jackass to Viva La Bam, the skateboarder's antics just made for good television (even if you did feel bad for his poor parents). Jokes aside, he has struggled with alcoholism since the death of his co-star Ryan Dunn, and checked into rehab earlier this year following a DUI arrest. However, it seems Bam has turned over a new leaf and is focused on his wife Nicole Boyd and their 7-month-old son Phoenix Wolf.

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Adrienne Curry 

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The brunette beauty might have been the first winner of America's Next Top Model, but she has been very vocal about her dislike of host Tyra Banks and the show. "We were promised a Revlon contract on my season and a contract with Wilhelmina. They did voice-overs on the actual aired show and changed what was being said to us while filming," she wrote on a blog. "I reached out to Tyra and Top Model, desperate to get out of my contract and get advice as I was not being given any castings, etc. by an agency that wanted me to fail. CRICKETS. Phone calls ignored. Then, my $15k for Revlon? Suddenly, I wasn't being paid." 

She went on to appear on more reality shows, including My Fair Brady, alongside her ex-husband Christopher Knight, and The Surreal Life. Today, she is engaged to voice actor Matthew "Ducksauce" Rhode, and the couple is currently living in Montana. 

Ally Hilfiger

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Tommy Hilfiger's daughter landed her own reality show, Rich Girls, alongside her BFF Jaime Gleicher. However, it was short-lived (too much so, in our opinion). Fast forward 15 years, and Ally is wife, mother, and advocate for Lyme Disease awareness. She even opened up about experiencing symptoms while filming her reality show. "During the show, my brain, it would almost short-circuit," she said on a 2016 episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now? "Certain times, I would say things that wouldn't make any sense. I knew they wouldn't make sense, but they were still coming out of my mouth… My words were slurring a lot. I was not able to put sentences together properly. And my memory — that's still a problem."

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Shanna Moakler 

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The one-time Bridalplasty host and former star of Meet the Barkers has come a long way from her Miss America days. Today, she is the executive producer of Miss Nevada USA, and she just recently acquired the Miss Utah franchise. Beauty and brains. She is also a mom to daughter Atiana with ex-husband Oscar De La Hoya, and kids Landon and Alabama with ex Travis Barker.  

Growing Up Gotti stars

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Do you ever find yourself wondering what happened to Victoria Gotti and her boys Carmine, Frank, and John? Well, take a deep breath because the infamous family is doing great, using less hair gel — and their late grandfather is the subject of the 2018 film Gotti, starring John Travolta. 

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Jo Frost

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The parenting expert put her skills to the test on Supernanny — where she transformed "bad" kids and provided guidance to their often overwhelmed parents. Jo Frost has written six books on child care — and can be followed on Instagram, where she often puts down babies to enjoy a well-deserved beer. 

Eden Wood

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Remember when the Toddlers and Tiaras star once vowed to be Miss America, the president of the United States, and an Oscar-winner before the age of 20? Well, Eden still has seven years before she misses her deadline, but we have faith she can do it. 

In the meantime, you can catch Eden modeling, taking selfies, and enjoying church camp, like your average 13-year-old. 

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Frankie Delgado

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Better known as Brody Jenner's BFF on The Hills, Frankie has come a long way since his MTV days. The 37-year-old is now a father of two — who recently gushed about his kids on social media. "Being a father is the greatest gift God has given me, the title DAD is earned every day, it is a title I wear on my heart and I am proud of," he wrote. "It is the most rewarding title I could ever posses, it takes dedication and even tho it takes a life-long responsibility, everything is worth it just to put a smile on my two babies' faces, they are God's gift to me and I will never let them down and always be there for them."

We're also pretty sure he is still Brody's BFF. 

Bridget Marquardt

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One-third of the Girls Next Door, Bridget was often overshadowed by Hugh Hefner's other girlfriends Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson. But don't feel too bad for the blonde beauty. She is now engaged to longtime boyfriend Nick Carpenter and is living her best life on Instagram

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Bret Michaels

bret michaels today
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The Poison frontman never found his "rock of love" but almost 10 years after the reality dating competition's finale, Bret is still rocking his signature bandana and cowboy hat. 

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