What's reality television without some controversy? In 2024, the genre hosted some major scandals, shocking lies, and extraordinary moments. With so many dramatic moments, finding the most controversial can be hard. To say that there are endless moments that could be included is an understatement. For this list, we're discussing the moments that went viral.
From massive breakups to shocking cheating scandals, from games of deceit to an entire cast being dropped, 2024 has been the gift that keeps on giving in the world of reality television. Here are ten of the most controversial moments this year!
10 The Ongoing Christina Haack and Josh Hall Divorce Drama
'Christina on the Coast'
If you've gotten whiplash regarding the high-profile separation of Christina Haack and Josh Hall, you're not alone. Earlier this year, Christina and Josh Hall were announced to join her ex, Tarek El Moussa, and his new wife, Heather El Moussa, for an upcoming HGTV series, The Flip Off. In between the viral promotional moments to hype up the fans, Christina and Josh announced their divorce, separately.
Things quickly got messy, and due to allegations of stealing money and malicious behavior, the pair used social media to share their grievances. While The Flip Off has dropped Josh Hall, he has still shown face on previously filmed episodes of Christina on the Coast. The saga is far from over, so expect more drama in 2025.
Christina On The Coast
TV-G
Reality
Release Date May 23, 2019
Cast Christina Haack
Main Genre Reality
Seasons 6
Network HGTV
Producers Brian Balthazar
Character(s) Self - Host
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See at Amazon
9 Lindsay Hubbard and Carl Radke's Shocking Split
'Summer House'
They were the couple that probably never should have happened. The past few seasons of Summer House have chronicled the budding romance between original stars Lindsay Hubbard and Carl Radke. Back in 2021, the pair officially got together, again, at their costars, Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula's wedding. From there, the pair quickly got engaged. While chronicled on film, viewers witnessed the good, the bad, and the very ugly. In 2022, the pair were engaged, but the engagement was called off a year later.
Fans witnessed the aftermath during Season 8. By the time the Summer House reunion came around, Carl and Lindsay were forced to confront the situation, with Andy Cohen in the middle. It was quite messy, and many believed that this would be the end of their time together on the show. And yet, when the announcement of Season 9's filming dropped, it was revealed that both would be a part of the cast. We can't wait to see how this will turn out!
Summer House
TV-14
Reality
Where to Watch
stream rent buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Release Date January 9, 2017
Cast Kyle Cooke , Lindsay Hubbard , Stephen McGee , Carl Radke , Jaclyn Shuman , Everett Weston , Ashley Wirkus , Lauren Wirkus
Seasons 8
Network Bravo
Franchise(s) Summer House
8 Devin Strader Dumps Jenn Tran
'The Bachelorette'
Love is hard. On Season 21 of The Bachelorette, Jenn Tran selected the controversial Devin Strader to be her husband. But their time together was short-lived. Following the finale, it was revealed that the pair officially parted ways. And it was not pretty. Jenn stated that Devin began to pull away and allegedly broke things off via the phone.
Meanwhile, Devin refuted her claims via a 13-minute video on Instagram. With allegations of other individuals in the mix, the pair simply could not survive. Even with counseling. Many fans felt Devin was the wrong choice to begin with. For Jenn, she moved on as she was cast on Dancing with the Stars, shrugging off the drama in the ballroom.
The Bachelorette
TV-14
Reality
Competition
Where to Watch
stream rent buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Release Date January 8, 2003
Cast Chris Harrison , Tayshia Adams , Kaitlyn Bristowe , Jesse Palmer
Main Genre Reality
Seasons 21
Creator(s) Elan Gale
Story By Elan Gale
Writers Elan Gale
Network ABC
Streaming Service(s) Hulu , The Roku Channel
Franchise(s) The Bachelor
Directors Mike Fleiss
Showrunner Mike Fleiss
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7 CT Tamburello and Trishelle Cannatella Double Cross MJ Javid
'The Traitors'
The Traitors has quickly become one of the biggest reality competition series around the globe. On the American version of the series, the second season's cast was filled with reality stars. Some were familiar with one another. Others became friends via the game. But, when you cast a group of reality stars with some history, expect that history to infiltrate the game. With a friendship that spanned nearly two decades. The Challenge stars CT Tamburello and Trishelle Cannatella played parallel games, yet had an understanding and respect for one another in the game. Both playing as Faithfuls, they were able to make it to the end, alongside MJ Javid and Kate Chastain.
After successfully snuffing out Kate as a Traitor, there were three Faithfuls remaining. So, they were going to split the prize, right? Wrong! With fear that another Traitor might be in their midst, they voted again. With a deadlock vote, Trishelle had fears about her longtime friend and rival. But after convincing her that he never doubted her, CT and Trishelle ousted MJ. The double-cross meant that MJ would earn none of the prize pot. As MJ said, "It was a plot twist of a lifetime." While CT was a fan favorite during the season, many viewers saw Trishelle as a villain. No matter where you stand, it was a brilliant ending to a strong season.
The Traitors (US)
TV-14
Mystery
Reality
Competition
Release Date January 12, 2023
Cast Alan Cumming
Seasons 3
Creator(s) Stephen Lambert , Marc Pos
Writers Lee Grant , Christine Rose
Showrunner Stephen Lambert
Where To Watch Peacock
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See at Peacock
6 Jeramey Lutinski's Cheating Scandal
'Love Is Blind'
Love Is Blind is one of the most fascinating social dating experiments ever. Men and women date without seeing one another. If they believe they are meant to be, they will get engaged and finally get to see one another. When dating the normal way, some villains emerge. On a show like Love Is Blind, those villainous tendencies can be amplified.
Such was the cast in Season 6. After Laura Dadisman and Jeramey Lutinski decided to take their love outside the pods, their relationship soon turned sour when Jeramey secretly began seeing another Pod Squad ex, Sarah Ann Bick. Between excruciating lies, heated confrontation, and the proof in his phone's tracking, Laura and Jeramey end their engagement, only for Jeramey and Sarah Ann to become official. They didn't hide it, making the situation even worse. To the shock of no one, Jeramey and Sarah Ann have officially split. Further, it was not amicable.
Love Is Blind
TV-MA
Reality TV
Romance
Where to Watch
stream rent buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Release Date February 13, 2020
Cast Nick Lachey , vanessa lachey , Micah Lussier , Chelsea Griffin , Tiffany Pennywell , Zack Goytowski , Brett Brown , Kwame Appiah , Alexa Alfia , Brennon Lemieux , Colleen Reed , Matt Bolton , Bartise Bowden , Bliss Poureetezadi , Paul Peden , Cole Barnett , Zanab Jaffrey , Raven Ross , Nancy Rodriguez , SK Alagbada , Deepti Vempati , Danielle Ruhl , Mallory Zapata , Natalie Lee , Nick Thompson , Iyanna McNeely , Jarrette Jones
Main Genre Reality
Seasons 8
Story By Chris Coelen
Writers Chris Coelen
Streaming Service(s) Netflix
Directors Chris Coelen
Showrunner Chris Coelen
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5 Stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Goes Viral Again with New Series
'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives'
Only a few years ago, #MomTok went viral after allegations of soft swinging within the Mormon community. The shocking allegations of social media influencers rocked the community, which meant that a docufollow reality series was obviously in the works. In September, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives dropped an eight-episode season on Hulu that chronicled the aftermath of the scandal.
The series became a massive hit, as eager fans became curious about the ins and outs of these women. Following the split group composed of the Sinners and Saints, the first season became one of the most watched series of the year. Have no fear, fans are about to get a second season as so much drama has unfolded since Season 1 finished filming. They left us with a juicy cliffhanger; surely, they knew they had to give us more!
The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives
Reality
Release Date September 6, 2024
Main Genre Reality
Seasons 1
4 Anna Delvey Has a Dramatic Exit
'Dancing with the Stars'
Dancing with the Stars has been known for some shocking and controversial stunt casting. For Season 33, Dancing with the Stars invited notorious con artist and fraudulent heir Anna Delvey to the ballroom in hopes of hoisting up the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. When her promo photo was revealed, all that fans could see was her rhinestoned ankle bracelet.
To say her time on the show was a stunt might be accurate. Lasting only two weeks, Anna Delvey and her partner Ezra Sosa were eliminated first. When co-host Julianne Hough asked her what she would take away from the experience, Anna Delvey simply responded with, "Nothing." And scene. The comment went viral, as did her feeling that she was being used as a gimmick. During the finale, Anna Delvey returned to the dance floor as she was lifted up to the tune of "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston. As they say, if ya can't take a joke!
Dancing with the Stars
TV-PG
Reality
Release Date June 1, 2005
Cast Carrie Ann Inaba , Bruno Tonioli , Len Goodman , Tom Bergeron , Cheryl Burke , Tony Dovolani , Derek Hough , Mark Ballas , Karina Smirnoff , Maksim Chmerkovskiy , Kym Johnson , Sasha Farber , Val Chmerkovskiy , Emma Slater , Sharna Burgess
Main Genre Reality
Seasons 33
Studio
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3 Kenya Moore's Season 16 Dismissal
'The Real Housewives of Atlanta'
Kenya Moore is gone with the wind, but maybe not fabulous this time. The long-time star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta was set to appear in Season 16 of the series, which helped her reality star status rise. When Kandi Burruss revealed that she would not be returning for the sixteenth season, it was announced that Porsha Williams would make her long-awaited return, exciting fans to see the rivals turned friends turned rivals again share the screen again.
Along with Porsha's return, Shamea Morton Mwangi was promoted to full-time Housewife, with new castmembers Brittany Eady, Kelli Ferrell, and Angela Oakley joining Kenya Moore and Drew Sidora. Well, as the season was in the middle of filming, Kenya Moore was forced to stop filming after allegations of sharing a sexually explicit photo of Brittany Eady. Her departure opened up the door for the return of Phaedra Parks, who departed the series after Season 9. Andy Cohen has confirmed that you will see Kenya next season, as it is all a part of what happened. The footage remains, and so does the piping-hot tea!
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
TV-14
Reality
Where to Watch
stream rent buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Release Date October 7, 2008
Cast NeNe Leakes , DeShawn Snow , Sheree Whitfield , Lisa Wu , Kim Zolciak , Kandi Burruss , Cynthia Bailey , Phaedra Parks , Kenya Moore , Porsha Williams , Claudia Jordan , Kim Fields , Shamari DeVoe , Eva Marcille
Main Genre Reality
Seasons 15
Creator(s) Scott Dunlop
Writers Scott Dunlop
Streaming Service(s) Bravo , E! , Peacock
Franchise(s) The Real Housewives
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2 Reality Von Tease
'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City'
Way back in January, the Bravo world was rattled when one of the biggest scandals to ever hit The Real Housewives rocked reality television. Season 4 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City saw the arrival of a new Housewife, Monica Garcia. She was an outsider who desperately wanted to be part of the clique. At first, viewers saw her as someone who may be closer to them, compared to the other women who live a life of wealth.
As the season went on, Monica integrated herself seamlessly as the other women have been dealing with the aftermath of a troll social media account that had been haunting them and causing chaos within. Thanks to some amazing sleuthing by Heather Gay, she found the "Receipts. Proof. Timeline. Screenshots." During the Bermuda trip, it was revealed that Monica Garcia was one of the masterminds behind the troll account, Reality Von Tease. The confrontation came at the final dinner, uniting the original castmembers in a moment that has gone down in reality television history.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Set against the stunning backdrop of Utah's mountain ranges, a reality TV series follows a group of affluent women navigating life in Salt Lake City. The show captures their opulent lifestyles, complex relationships, and personal and religious challenges, providing a unique glimpse into how tradition and modernity clash in a tightly-knit community.
Where to Watch
stream rent buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
1 'Vanderpump Rules' Drops Cast
'Vanderpump Rules'
The Scandavol grenade has officially detonated. The Tom Sandoval-Ariana Madix-Raquel Leviss cheating scandal took a massive toll on Vanderpump Rules. So much so that it affected the cast, their loyalties, and their trust in one another. So, Bravo made a bombshell decision to reboot the series ahead of Season 12.
The current cast of the series has been dropped and will be replaced by employees currently working at SUR and TomTom. The overhaul will refresh the series as other Bravo intellectual properties have done recently. The original story is complete, and now Vanderpump Rules will tell a new story.
Vanderpump Rules
TV-14
Drama
Reality
Where to Watch
stream rent buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Release Date January 7, 2013
Cast Scheana Shay , Lisa Vanderpump , Katie Maloney , Tom Sandoval , Tom Schwartz , Ariana Madix , James Kennedy , Lala Kent
Main Genre Reality
Seasons 10
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