REALITY television has been around for decades, and one show in particular has become one of the longest running reality series in history, credited with launching the genre.
Sarah Becker, who appeared on the fifth season of MTV’s The Real World, set in Miami, Florida, tragically passed away in June 2024 after struggling with her mental health in recent months.
Who was Sarah Becker?
Sarah Becker was born on November 3, 1970.
After graduating from Indiana University, she began working as an editor, working primarily on comic books.
She was also previously the editorial producer for skaterboardermag.com.
During her time on the show, Sarah, then 25 years old, was working at Wildstorm Comics in La Jolla, California.
She described herself as a “19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body,” and MTV labeled her as a tomboy.
According to her MTV biography, Sarah enjoyed skateboarding and dressing up as TV characters, and reportedly collected Swatch watches and “empty Blistex tubes.”
During her time on the show, she is best remembered for:
- Starting a side business delivering restaurant supplies to beachside clients in episode seven
- Getting into a heated argument with her roommate Flora in episode 11
- Bringing home a puppy named Leroy in episode 13
- Flying to Staniel Cay in the Bahamas with her roommates Cynthia, Dan, Joe, and Mike in episode 19
- Confronting Melissa, who later leaves the house, in episode 20
On June 23, 2024, TMZ broke the news that Sarah Becker had died early last week at her home in Illinois.
Sarah, who previously resided in California, had moved to the Midwest in 2023.
She moved closer to her family’s home to help take care of her ailing sister and mother.
Her father, Robert Becker, passed away earlier this year on February 10, 2024.
While Sarah had plans to move back to California eventually, a skateboarding accident further set her back, and she began struggling with her mental health over the last few months.
A family member confirmed the tragic news, saying Sarah took her own life.
She was just 52 years old.
Sarah’s family member says she’ll be remembered as a “selfless person,” and “for always taking care of others,” even before taking care of herself.
Family members and friends have begun to post tributes to Sarah on social media, including Facebook.
“Sarah Becker was made of pure sunshine… Full of energy and positivity, you couldn’t help but feel her warmth standing in her presence. I am grateful for our adventures and laughs,” wrote Daniel Norton.
“Big hugs to all the Wildstorm fam!” he added.
“I just found out that one on the nicest people that have ever been put in my life, especially during my impressionable ages in my life has passed away,” Joel Benjamin wrote.
“Every time I thought of her I would always see her smile, and bubbly personality. You were loved and will be missed. RIP Sarah Becker,” he added.
When was Sarah Becker on The Real World?
Sarah Becker appeared on The Real World: Miami, the show’s fifth season.
Set in Miami, Florida, it was the first season of The Real World to be filmed in the South Atlantic States region of the US.
It was also the first season filmed in the US outside of New York and California.
The show premiered on July 10, 1996, and aired 22 episodes, with the finale airing on December 4, 1996.
The Real World: Miami featured a group of people living in a house at 445 E. Rivo Alto Dr. in Miami Beach.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home was located just north of the Venetian Causeway on Rivo Alto Island.
The show’s seven participants included:
- Sarah Becker, 25, from San Diego, California
- Dan Renzi, 21, from Overland Park, Kansas
- Melissa Padrón, 22, from Miami, Florida
- Joe Patane, 25, from Brooklyn, New York
- Cynthia Roberts, 22, from Oakland, California
- Flora Alekseyeun, 24, from Boston, Massachusetts
- Mike Lambert, 24, from Jacksonville, Florida
The Real World: Miami was the first season of the series where the group of housemates were given a “task” for the duration of the season.
The group was given $50,000 for startup costs, and tasked with creating their own business.
Ultimately, despite many great ideas – most of which came from Sarah – the group failed to start a business before their time at the house was up.
Following her appearance on the show, Sarah was interviewed by The Chicago Tribune in 1997.
“For me, The Real World was a six-month long vacation, I knew from the get-go that it couldn’t be a stepping stone to bigger and better things.”
“I want my own magazine someday, and I don’t think Sarah from The Real World is going to have anything to do with that,” she said at the time.
She also reportedly struggled with her initial bout of fame.
“I kind of liked being anonymous,” she said.
“Now I go into a place and people recognize me and say, ‘Hey, Real World girl!’ So when I go out I sometimes wear a hood.”
When did The Real World first air?
The Real World premiered on MTV on May 21, 1992.
The show’s first season was set in New York City.
Each subsequent season was set in different major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Boston, Denver, and Atlanta.
Some seasons were even set in different countries, including England, Mexico, Australia, and the Virgin Islands.
The premise of each season was simple: a small group of young adults, selected from thousands of applicants across the nation, would move into a house together.
The Real World stressed that each chosen participant would represent different races, sexes, sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, and even levels of sexual experience.
Despite reality television often considered lowbrow, The Real World was applauded for being one of the first non-fiction TV programs that simultaneously appealed to a young audience, but also taught that audience about contemporary issues, including:
- Prejudice
- Sex and Sexuality
- Abortion
- Illness
- Religion
- Substance Abuse
- AIDS
- Death
- Politics
- Mental Health
The show ran for nearly 30 years, from May 21, 1992, to August 29, 2019.
Earlier episodes of the show were 30 minutes in length, and beginning in 2008, transitioned to one-hour episodes.
The Real World aired for 33 seasons and officially broadcast 614 episodes in its history.
It was reportedly inspired by An American Family, a PBS documentary series that followed the life of a California family in the 1970s.
Several of the show’s cast members also went on to launch successful careers in the entertainment industry, including:
- Tami Roman (The Real World: Los Angeles)
- Pedro Zamora (The Real World: San Francisco)
- Jacinda Barrett (The Real World: London)
- Jamie Chung (The Real World: San Diego)
- Karamo Brown (The Real World: Philadelphia)
- Trishelle Cannatella (The Real World: Las Vegas)
The Real World also spawned two successful spin-offs, the Road Rules and The Challenge franchises.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.