17 Years Ago, VH1 Canceled a Reality Show After a Contestant Was Charged With Murder
· Vice
Many television networks have their dark secrets they try to bury from the public eye. In 2009, VH1 was entangled in a serious crime web after one of the contestants on Megan Wants a Millionaire was arrested for murder.
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Megan Hauserman—known for her appearances on Rock of Love with Bret Michaels and I Love Money—received her own spin-off show after becoming a polarizing reality star figure. Hauserman infamously appeared on Rock of Love: Charm School, where she and Sharon Osbourne got into a physical altercation because of comments Hauserman made about Osbourne’s husband, Ozzy.
In the early ‘00s, VH1 became known for these celebrity-contestant shows, and part of the charm was how messy and likable the contestants were. Naturally, VH1 wanted to capitalize on this by creating spin-offs with fan-favorite stars.
This VH1 Dating Show Was Canceled After a Contestant Became a Murder Suspect
Unfortunately for Hauserman, her reality television legacy is muddied by tragedy. Shortly after the premiere of Megan Wants a Millionaire, the show suspended broadcasting. One of the contestants, Ryan Jenkins, was wanted by police in connection with the death of his wife—whom he married shortly after the show wrapped production—Jasmine Fiore.
After placing third on Megan Wants a Millionaire, Jenkins filmed I Love Money 3. On August 15, 2009, Fiore’s body was found mutilated and stuffed inside of a suitcase in a dumpster in Buena Park, California.
On August 23, three days after police began searching for him, Jenkins was found dead in a motel of an apparent suicide. The show was canceled on August 24.
“He was very jealous and very suspicious of her. We were actually making a story of it on the show,” 51 Minds co-founder Mark Cronin told Entertainment Weekly in 2020. “We were like, ‘Look at this guy, he’s obsessed with this [model] he married,'” Cronin continues. “It was funny, until it wasn’t funny at all.”
Jenkins had a criminal record after assaulting his ex-girlfriend in 2005, but apparently that wasn’t enough to disqualify him from appearing on reality television. However, this harrowing incident marked a turning point that changed reality television forever.
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