Sarah Becker of MTV's 'The Real World: Miami' dead at 52 - Los Angeles Times
Advertisement

Sarah Becker, who starred on MTV’s ‘The Real World: Miami,’ dies at 52

Seven young adults in 1990s attire posing in a group outdoors by a white railing with a cityscape in the background
Sarah Becker, second from left, appeared on “The Real World: Miami” in 1996 with, from left, Dan Renzi, Melissa Padron, Flora Alekseyeun, Cynthia Roberts, Joe Patane and Michael Lambert. Becker died early last week.
(MTV / Associated Press)
Share via

Sarah Becker, a cast member on Season 5 of MTV’s hit reality TV show “The Real World,” has died. She was 52.

Becker’s family confirmed the news to TMZ, saying that she died by suicide. She had recently moved from California to Illinois to care for family members and was struggling with her mental health in addition to recovering from a skateboarding accident, they said.

Erich Anderson has died after a ‘brutal struggle with cancer.’ The working actor and novelist, who notched credits in more than 100 productions, was 67.

June 4, 2024

She worked at Wildstorm Comics in La Jolla before joining the reality show in 1996. Becker was known as a tomboy and described herself in a “Real World” promo as “a 19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old’s body.”

Advertisement

Becker’s time on the show was memorable for her side business delivering restaurant supplies, a bitter argument with her roommate, confronting another housemate, taking a trip to the Bahamas and bringing home a puppy named Leroy.

Her former castmates expressed their condolences via social media.

“I am beyond myself and sad to just hear that my [roommate] Sarah died,” Flora Alekseyeun wrote Sunday on Instagram, calling Becker “kind,” “selfless” and “helpful.”

Using more than 300 interviews with the people who invented the genre, Emily Nussbaum crafts the story of the origins of reality TV from 1947 to 2009.

June 21, 2024

“I haven’t spoken to her in years and never knew she was troubled. My prayers go out to her family. RIP my [roommate], my friend. May you skate with angels and never feel pain again.”

Advertisement

“RIP roomy. I pray there’s happiness for you on the other side,” Cynthia Roberts said in her Instagram story alongside a recent photo of Becker.

“Sarah and I had not spoken since the end of our show, so I don’t know anything about her struggles,” Dan Renzi posted on Instagram. “The seven of us in that cast went through a bizarre, intense and sometimes traumatic experience together, and that creates a connection between people, even when they choose not to associate with each other. I can only say, it’s very sad.”

‘Sex and The City’ is now on Netflix, allowing younger audiences to discover the hit show. Many are taking issue with Sarah Jessica Parker’s iconic character Carrie.

April 12, 2024

Joe Patane memorialized her on Facebook, praising how she “dedicated herself to becoming a life coach and eventually a licensed marriage and family therapist to help others, and perhaps deeper understand her own mental health challenges.”

Advertisement

“Suicide should never be an option, but hopefully she is at peace, and those who knew and loved her will reach out for the care they need, like I must, to mourn, love, LIVE and thrive.”

Advertisement