The Real World: San Diego
Encyclopedia
The Real World: San Diego is the fourteenth season of MTV
's reality television
series The Real World
, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The San Diego season premiered in 2004. It was the second season of The Real World to be filmed in southern California
after The Real World: Los Angeles
in 1993, and the third season to be filmed in California
after The Real World: San Francisco
in 1994. The season premiere was watched by approximately 4 million viewers.
, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. The San Diego cast worked in San Diego Bay
as crew members for Next Level Sailing on a boat named Stars & Stripes
, which carried visitors daily. Before beginning their regular duties as tour guides, which included preparing yachts for excursions, piloting them in San Diego Bay, and providing maintenance, the cast had to undergo a course in sailing, and navigating the vessels. This created a problem for Frankie Abernathy, who has a phobia of large metal objects, such as boats, and is initially frightened by the sight of the harbor.
The cast's residence was a custom-designed, two-story house at 4922 North Harbor Drive in San Diego. The house, formerly a Blue Crab Seafood restaurant and a marine supply company, sits on the edge of the southeast end of Driscoll's Wharf, overlooking America's Cup Harbor in Point Loma. MTV.com gives its size as 5000 square feet (464.5 m²), though realworldhouses.com gives it as 10328 square feet (959.5 m²). During filming of the series, the property included a sand volleyball court and basketball court.
: Age at the time of filming.
, a member of production staff said that the young woman was found lying naked on the bathroom floor of the Real World house as Justin emerged, saying, "I just hit that." That person then dressed the woman and moved her to the living room couch, where Chung, upon arriving home on the morning of November 15, found her. Chung then helped that other person move the woman to the downstairs guest bedroom. Chung and the camera crew woke the woman at 10:30a.m. while cameras were rolling. Chung told the woman that she may have been sexually assaulted in the bathroom during the night, but the woman, according to Chung, appeared disoriented and had difficulty speaking. With the woman's help, Chung contacted a male friend of hers and arranged for her transportation home. Feeling pain in her genital region, the woman reported the incident to police on November 16, and a subsequent medical examination revealed abrasions to both her vagina
and anus
. According to police, the woman believes her assailant drugged her, brought her back to the Real World house and then while she was unconscious, raped her in the bathroom, since that is the only place in the house where the show's cameras are off-limits.
Another cast member told police that he had seen the woman barely able to stand up in the bathroom, mumbling incoherently and looking confused, according to the search warrant.
The police sexual assault unit began investigating the next day, November 17, but the Real World cast and crew had left on the cast's group trip to Mexico
, and all film from November 14 and 15 had been shipped from the house to the production headquarters in Los Angeles
. Kevin Lee, the on-site producer of show, told police he had not viewed the footage but that, after talking to the cast, believed the woman might have been raped, and confirmed that Justin was resident in the house at the time of the alleged assault. Why this did not motivate him to look at the film or to use the on-site film-editing computer to review the incident is unknown. Lee agreed to supply the police with the consent forms and photo ID cards that listed who was in the house at the time of the incident, and gave them a tour of the house, allowing them to search the bathroom for evidence.
At the end of the tour, however, Lee received a phone call from Pam Naughton, an attorney representing Bunim-Murray Productions, which produces the show. Naughton refused to permit the police to search the bedrooms and stated that the producers would not turn over any documents or film until she personally reviewed them. The police then obtained a search warrant, and raided the house, confiscating the film-editing computer, the cast's e-mail computer, bedding, towels, videotapes and other possible items of evidence. After examining hours of footage taped for the show, and seizing evidence at the scene, police made no arrests, and the San Diego County District Attorney
's office concluded there was not enough evidence to warrant any charges.
Nearly a month of footage from the season ended up on the cutting room floor due to the allegation. While Charlie Dordevich only appears in three episodes, he lived in the house almost as long as Frankie, who appeared in the first 23 episodes.
TV Guide
critic J. Max Robins opined, "The sexual-assault charge is the most tragic event in a long list of disturbing incidents that have plagued The Real World since it debuted 12 years ago."
.
Abernathy lost her battle with cystic fibrosis on June 9, 2007 at the age of 25.
Challenges in bold indicate he contestant was a finalist on the Challenge, but lost in the Final Race.
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The San Diego season premiered in 2004. It was the second season of The Real World to be filmed in southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
after The Real World: Los Angeles
The Real World: Los Angeles
The Real World: California is the second season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of several diverse strangers living together for several months, as the cameras follow their lives and interpersonal...
in 1993, and the third season to be filmed in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
after The Real World: San Francisco
The Real World: San Francisco
The Real World: San Francisco is the third season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships...
in 1994. The season premiere was watched by approximately 4 million viewers.
Assignment
Almost every season of The Real World, beginning with its fifth seasonThe Real World: Miami
The Real World: Miami is the fifth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow and document their lives and interpersonal relationships...
, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. The San Diego cast worked in San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
as crew members for Next Level Sailing on a boat named Stars & Stripes
Stars & Stripes (yacht)
Stars & Stripes is the name of a series of racing yachts operated by Dennis Conner to compete in the America's Cup. The name "Stars & Stripes" refers to the nickname often used for the flag of the United States.- 12-metre class yachts :1987 America's Cup...
, which carried visitors daily. Before beginning their regular duties as tour guides, which included preparing yachts for excursions, piloting them in San Diego Bay, and providing maintenance, the cast had to undergo a course in sailing, and navigating the vessels. This created a problem for Frankie Abernathy, who has a phobia of large metal objects, such as boats, and is initially frightened by the sight of the harbor.
The residence
Cast
| Cast member | Hometown | Biography | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Fiorenza | Chicago, Illinois | Brad is an Italian-American from Chicago who has just graduated from school with an accounting degree. He enjoys extreme sport Extreme sport An extreme sport is a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger... s and motorcycle Motorcycle A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most... s. MTV.com describes him as a "hunky, fun-loving daredevil." |
|
| Cameran Eubanks | Anderson, South Carolina Anderson, South Carolina Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was estimated at 26,242 in 2006, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 70,530... |
Cameran was born and raised in an upper class family in Anderson, South Carolina, and enjoys playing pranks on people. She has had an on-and-off boyfriend for a year, but says that he is merely a "trophy". Her parents' divorce, which occurred when she was in high school, deeply affected her, and she continues to become emotional when speaking of it. MTV.com describes her as "warm, friendly and down to earth". | |
| Charlie Dordevich | 18 | Belgrade, Serbia | Charlie is an 18-year-old guitarist and aspiring musician from Belgrade, Serbia. An outgoing person whose creative attempts to find fun often get him into trouble, his traditional parents enlisted him in a boarding school when he was twelve. He enjoys traveling because he doesn't like staying in the same place for too long. MTV.com describes Charlie as a free spirit who looks as if he "came straight out of the movie Dazed and Confused Dazed and Confused "Dazed and Confused" is a song by Jake Holmes, which was covered by The Yardbirds, and later reworked by Led Zeppelin who hold a separate copyright on the song.-Jake Holmes:... ." Charlie moved into the house as a replacement for Frankie, after Frankie had moved out. |
| Frankie Abernathy | 23 | Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
Frankie is a certified masseuse and aspiring artist with a number of piercings, and a fondness for punk rock Punk rock Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock... music and Hello Kitty Hello Kitty is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States... . She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine... , a hereditary disease that affects the respiratory Respiratory system The respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles... and immune system Immune system An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own... s, at the age of three, and although she spent most of her childhood and adolescence symptom-free, she experienced numerous hospital stays in her teens. She is a student of spiritual healing who paid for her education by working in a porn shop. MTV.com describes her as "extremely pretty" and "creative". Frankie has a phobia of boats, which made the group assignment difficult for her. She leaves the house early, due to conflict with her housemates, and homesickness. |
| Jacquese Smith | Paterson, New Jersey Paterson, New Jersey Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023... |
Jacquese was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and was forced to become the "man of the house" when his father left the family, learning how to take care of himself. MTV.com describes him as a motivated young man with "a quick wit and an even quicker tongue", and a "class clown" who uses his sense of humor to provide comic relief for his friends. He is also said to have a tenacious work ethic and drive, and is a positive influence on those in his life. The first housemate he greeted was Frankie, and the two of them first walked into the house together. They were perhaps the closest with one another during their stay there. | |
| Jamie Chung Jamie Chung Jamie Jilynn Chung is an American actress known to reality television audiences as a cast member on the MTV reality television series, The Real World: San Diego and its spin-off show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno II, and for her appearances in TV and films, such as I Now... |
20 | San Francisco, California San Francisco, California San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland... |
Jamie is a second-generation Korean-American woman raised by traditional parents in San Francisco. She works two jobs to pay her tuition, but also enjoys partying. According to mtv.com, Jamie's friends feel she does not have the best taste in men, and although she is very picky when choosing her dates, she tends to overlook obvious signs of trouble. |
| Randy Barry | Boston, Massachusetts | Randy is an industrial sculptor who is often found creating a new piece of artwork in his basement studio, and works as the head of security at an A-list A-list A-list is a term that alludes to major movie stars, or the most bankable in the Hollywood film industry.The A-list is part of a larger guide called The Hot List that has become an industry-standard guide in Hollywood... Boston nightclub. MTV.com describes him as "creative, insightful, and charismatic". A single man, he is said to be easygoing and able to make friends and female admirers easily. |
|
| Robin Hibbard | Tampa, Florida Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709.... |
Robin is a single woman who was working at a Coyote Ugly Saloon Coyote Ugly Saloon The Coyote Ugly Saloon is an American drinking establishment and the namesake of a national chain of bars. It served as the setting for the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly.-History:... when she was cast. She enjoys dancing. MTV.com describes her as a "spunky, energetic and gorgeous party girl", and "a genuine person who helps people break out of their own shells". |
: Age at the time of filming.
Rape allegation
A 22-year-old woman claimed she was raped in the Real World house sometime during the night of November 14, 2003 by an acquaintance of Real World cast member Randy Barry, identified in local reports as "Justin", who was staying at the house as a guest. The woman claimed the man bought her a drink at a downtown San Diego nightspot, and that she blacked out after drinking it. According to cast member Jamie ChungJamie Chung
Jamie Jilynn Chung is an American actress known to reality television audiences as a cast member on the MTV reality television series, The Real World: San Diego and its spin-off show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno II, and for her appearances in TV and films, such as I Now...
, a member of production staff said that the young woman was found lying naked on the bathroom floor of the Real World house as Justin emerged, saying, "I just hit that." That person then dressed the woman and moved her to the living room couch, where Chung, upon arriving home on the morning of November 15, found her. Chung then helped that other person move the woman to the downstairs guest bedroom. Chung and the camera crew woke the woman at 10:30a.m. while cameras were rolling. Chung told the woman that she may have been sexually assaulted in the bathroom during the night, but the woman, according to Chung, appeared disoriented and had difficulty speaking. With the woman's help, Chung contacted a male friend of hers and arranged for her transportation home. Feeling pain in her genital region, the woman reported the incident to police on November 16, and a subsequent medical examination revealed abrasions to both her vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
and anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
. According to police, the woman believes her assailant drugged her, brought her back to the Real World house and then while she was unconscious, raped her in the bathroom, since that is the only place in the house where the show's cameras are off-limits.
Another cast member told police that he had seen the woman barely able to stand up in the bathroom, mumbling incoherently and looking confused, according to the search warrant.
The police sexual assault unit began investigating the next day, November 17, but the Real World cast and crew had left on the cast's group trip to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and all film from November 14 and 15 had been shipped from the house to the production headquarters in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Kevin Lee, the on-site producer of show, told police he had not viewed the footage but that, after talking to the cast, believed the woman might have been raped, and confirmed that Justin was resident in the house at the time of the alleged assault. Why this did not motivate him to look at the film or to use the on-site film-editing computer to review the incident is unknown. Lee agreed to supply the police with the consent forms and photo ID cards that listed who was in the house at the time of the incident, and gave them a tour of the house, allowing them to search the bathroom for evidence.
At the end of the tour, however, Lee received a phone call from Pam Naughton, an attorney representing Bunim-Murray Productions, which produces the show. Naughton refused to permit the police to search the bedrooms and stated that the producers would not turn over any documents or film until she personally reviewed them. The police then obtained a search warrant, and raided the house, confiscating the film-editing computer, the cast's e-mail computer, bedding, towels, videotapes and other possible items of evidence. After examining hours of footage taped for the show, and seizing evidence at the scene, police made no arrests, and the San Diego County District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
's office concluded there was not enough evidence to warrant any charges.
Nearly a month of footage from the season ended up on the cutting room floor due to the allegation. While Charlie Dordevich only appears in three episodes, he lived in the house almost as long as Frankie, who appeared in the first 23 episodes.
TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
critic J. Max Robins opined, "The sexual-assault charge is the most tragic event in a long list of disturbing incidents that have plagued The Real World since it debuted 12 years ago."
After filming
Six months after the cast left the Real World house, all eight of them appeared to discuss their experiences both during and since their time on the show on 2 Punk Rock 4 This: The Real World San Diego Reunion, which premiered on July 9, 2004, and was hosted by Vanessa MinnilloVanessa Minnillo
Vanessa Joy Lachey is an-American television personality, television host, model, and actress. A former Miss Teen USA, she has been a New York-based correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and a host of Total Request Live on MTV...
.
Abernathy lost her battle with cystic fibrosis on June 9, 2007 at the age of 25.
Real World/Road Rules Challenges
| Cast Member | Challenges | Challenges Won |
|---|---|---|
| Brad Fiorenza | Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno II The Inferno II is the tenth season of Real World/Road Rules Challenge and the sequel to The Inferno. The show aired in 2005, and took place in Manzanillo, Mexico. This challenge was the same as The Inferno, except this time each team was allowed to choose only one "Inferno nominee" from the... , The Gauntlet 2 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet 2 The Gauntlet II is the 11th season of Real World/Road Rules Challenge and the sequel to The Gauntlet. The Gauntlet II aired in late 2005 and into 2006 with 32 contestants and took place in Trinidad and Tobago. The teams were designated Veterans and Rookies, based on the number of prior Challenge... , The Duel Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel The Duel is the thirteenth season of the MTV television series Real World/Road Rules Challenge. It took place in Búzios, Brazil, with former cast members from MTV series The Real World and Road Rules competing, along with several cast members from the previous Challenge, Fresh Meat. The host of... , The Gauntlet III, The Duel 2 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel 2 Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel II is the seventeenth season of the MTV television series, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, and the sequel to The Duel. It took place in Queenstown, New Zealand, with former cast members from MTV's The Real World and Road Rules competing along with several... , The Ruins Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins is the eighteenth season of the MTV reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, and follows The Duel 2. The Ruins took place in Phuket, Thailand, with former cast members from MTV's The Real World and Road Rules competing along with... , Cutthroat The Challenge: Cutthroat The Challenge: Cutthroat is the twentieth season of the MTV reality television game show, The Challenge, and follows Fresh Meat II. Filmed in Prague, Czech Republic, Cutthroat features a first-ever three-team format, with cast members from The Real World, Road Rules, Fresh Meat, Fresh Meat II and... |
Cutthroat |
| Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2 | None | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| Jacquese Smith | Battle of the Sexes 2 | None |
| Jamie Chung Jamie Chung Jamie Jilynn Chung is an American actress known to reality television audiences as a cast member on the MTV reality television series, The Real World: San Diego and its spin-off show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno II, and for her appearances in TV and films, such as I Now... |
The Inferno II | The Inferno II |
| Randy Barry | Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2 | The Gauntlet 2 |
| Robin Hibbard | Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Gauntlet III, The Island Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island is the sixteenth season of the reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, which aired on the American cable tv network MTV. It premiered on September 10, 2008 at 10pm ET/PT... , The Duel 2, Rivals The Challenge: Rivals The Challenge: Rivals is the twenty-first season of the MTV reality television game show, The Challenge, and follows Cutthroat. It takes place in Costa Rica, Argentina and Patagonia, with former cast members from MTV's The Real World, Fresh Meat, Fresh Meat II and the Spring Break Challenge competing... |
None |
Challenges in bold indicate he contestant was a finalist on the Challenge, but lost in the Final Race.