A producer of one of the most notorious
reality shows of all time is interested in a potential reboot, but will it
ever make it to air? Chances are, you'll never see any of these programs
that were undone by controversy. The 2005 reality series Who's Your Daddy?
may not exactly have been the best idea to begin with. The show was hosted by Finola
Hughes and focused on a woman named TJ Myers who didn't know who her biological
father was. She had to choose him from a group of contestants in order to win
money. If a contestant could instead deceptively convince her that he was her
father, then he would win a cash prize. Even before Who's Your Daddy? aired a single
episode on Fox, there were petitions to remove it from the schedule by thousands of
people who wrote to the network. There were also protests from adoptive parents
and adoption organizations. Adam Pertman, the executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson
Adoption Institute, for one, wrote to Fox, "The very idea of taking such a deeply
personal, complex situation and turning it into a money-grubbing game show is perverse,
destructive and insensitive to others." Fox initially defended their decision
to air Who's Your Daddy?, saying in a statement that the "attention-grabbing"
title didn't necessarily capture what the show would be about. Six episodes were
filmed, but Fox tried to just pass it off as a one-episode special, with the
remaining five episodes never airing. Paula Deen was once a beloved Food Network
chef. But that was before controversy surfaced in 2012 that led to the cancelation of her show
Paula Deen's Home Cooking. As reported by TMZ, Deen was sued for racial discrimination by
a former manager of one of her restaurants. And during the deposition, she admitted
to using a racial slur. That same lawsuit also reportedly accused Deen's brother,
Earl "Bubba" Hiers, of sexual harassment, specifically for watching porn in front of
other employees. Those revelations resulted in Food Network canceling all Paula Deen-related
shows, but that wasn't the end of the story. In the same deposition, Deen reportedly confessed
to wanting the waiters at Hiers' upcoming wedding to be Black men portraying slaves. The New
York Times spoke with one of Deen's employees, who claimed that Deen asked another employee
to wear an Aunt Jemima-style outfit at work. On top of that, there was also an outcry about
how Deen hid her diabetes after promoting unhealthy foods on her shows, until she
landed a lucrative drug company deal. Deen attempted several apologies,
at one point saying in a statement, "Inappropriate, hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable. I’ve made
plenty of mistakes along the way" "My children, my team, my fans, my
partners, I beg for your forgiveness." But the damage was already done. Deen
was dropped from the Food Network, as well as from companies she had
partnered with, like Walmart and Sears. Perhaps executives at CBS thought that Armed and
Famous could be a show so crazy that it just might work. But it didn't quite work out that way, and
there's still debate around why it was dropped by the network after just four episodes and
moved to VH1. The 2007 series followed a group of out-of-work celebrities, including Jack
Osbourne, LaToya Jackson, and Erik Estrada, as they worked on the police force in the
small town of Muncie, Indiana. Unsurprisingly, the show was panned by critics, including
one from The Buffalo News who wrote, "I'd rather spend a month in Muncie or
be tasered than watch another episode." When CBS canceled Armed and Famous, the network blamed a difficult time
slot. Spokesman Chris Ender claimed, "It came down to ratings. Going up against
American Idol was a tall task for the show." It also probably didn't help that the show was
hit with a $1 million lawsuit. Plaintiff Lyndsay Clements alleged that Muncie police, along
with the cast and crew of Armed and Famous, forcefully entered her apartment while looking
for a fugitive. Before realizing that they had arrived at the wrong address, they
handcuffed her and looked through her belongings. The incident left Clements
feeling "violated," with her lawyer claiming, "They ought to be held accountable. [...] If
you think of cops as clowns and want to give them guns, you're putting everybody at risk.
This should not be entertainment television." The team at HGTV may have forgotten
to do a thorough enough background check when they hired twins David and
Jason Benham to host Flip It Forward, a 2014 show about families who want to
turn fixer-uppers into dream homes. But as it turned out, the hosts were the
sons of an evangelical minister who often spoke out against homosexuality and
abortion, as did the twins themselves. It was eventually discovered that both
Benhams had taken part in anti-gay rallies, and at least David protested outside abortion
clinics. He was even recorded saying, "We have no-fault divorce; we
have pornography and perversion; we have homosexuality and its agenda
that is attacking the nation." The network canceled the show
and announced in a statement, "HGTV is not moving forward with
the Benham Brothers' series at this time. We're not commenting beyond this statement." It wasn't hard to read between
the lines and infer that the cancellation was probably due to what
had surfaced about the Benhams. However, the hosts claimed that the network knew about
their past. As David told ABC'S Nightline, "We explained it to them and we gave the proper context for my statements. And they
looked behind our eyes and said, 'they don't have any hate in their hearts for
anyone, so we are going to give them a show.'" The brothers also announced in a statement, "If our faith costs us a
television show then so be it." "Jason and I are gonna finish the project with or without the cameras. As a matter
of fact, without the cameras." MTV's 2013 reality series Buckwild followed
a group of young and wild friends living in West Virginia. But it all ended on a tragic note
after one of the stars, 21-year-old Shain Gandee, died from carbon monoxide poisoning while filming
the second season. He was found dead alongside his friend Donald Robert Myers and his uncle David
Gandee, after the truck they were in got stuck in the mud while they were off-roading,
an activity often featured on the show. Following Gandee's death, MTV decided to not move forward shooting Season 2 of
Buckwild, explaining in a statement, "Given Shain's tragic passing and
essential presence on the show, we felt it was not appropriate
to continue without him. instead, we are working on a meaningful way to pay
tribute to his memory on our air and privately." This tribute came in the form of a special
episode, as well as an entire day of programming dedicated to Gandee. But this solution didn't sit
right with the show's producer, J.P. Williams, who wanted to continue with filming. As
Williams put it to The Hollywood Reporter, "This is the network that has shows
about teen pregnancy. They'll stick by a show that allows you to abandon a child, but a kid dies by accident doing what he
does for a living, and they cancel the show?" Unfortunately for Williams, MTV
owned the rights to Buckwild and prevented him from shopping
it around to other networks. Actors Corey Feldman and Corey Haim
were both big teen stars in the 1980s. When they teamed up a couple of
decades later for The Two Coreys, it looked like they were trying to
revive their careers. However, the show, which ran for two seasons on A&E between 2007
and 2008, may have ended up making things worse. That's because The Two Coreys was
reportedly canceled after Haim, who had struggled with drug addiction for years,
suffered a relapse during filming. His addiction was apparently so bad that Feldman decided he
no longer wanted to do the show with him and pulled out after Season 2 wrapped. Feldman's
manager explained to the National Enquirer, "Right now, there will not be a
third season of The Two Coreys. Things can't continue the way they did
toward the end of the second season." Tragically, just two years after the show ended, Haim died at the age of 38. While drugs
were found in his system and his death was originally considered a suspected
prescription medication overdose, it was later determined that he died from pneumonia.
A&E released a statement that read in part, "We are saddened by the tragic loss of Corey
Haim who we had the pleasure to work with on the series The Two Coreys. Our thoughts are
with his family during this difficult time." As for Feldman, he went on to release the
documentary My Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys in 2020, which chronicled the alleged sexual
abuse he and Haim dealt with as child stars. "So what we got was the
awareness. We opened enough eyes." Kid Nation has lived on in notoriety since it
aired on CBS in 2007. The premise was essentially a cross between Survivor and Lord of the Flies.
A group of children between the ages of 8 and 15 set about creating their own society when left on
an uninhabited farmstead in the middle of nowhere without adult supervision. If that doesn't sound
sketchy enough, The Smoking Gun reported that the parents of the participants had to sign
a waiver that acknowledged that there were, quote, "conditions that may cause the minor
serious bodily injury, illness or death." Thankfully, no one died, though there were
reportedly instances of some of the kids drinking bleach and becoming traumatized
over the killing of a live chicken. The show was also condemned by critics
for exploiting children. Following a lawsuit and an inquiry by the New Mexico
Attorney General regarding whether or not the production broke any laws, the
show was canceled after one season. Nevertheless, executive producer Tom Forman stands by Kid Nation to this
day, telling Variety in 2017, "The part that was amazing and controversial
and groundbreaking was the social element." He also stressed that the children were
always safe during production and added, "Every couple of years I pick up the phone and lob in a call to CBS and see
if we should do it again." The VH1 series Ev and Ocho was
just another in a long line of reality shows documenting the lives of
a rich and famous couple. In this case, the main storyline was NFL player Chad
"Ochocinco" Johnson's engagement and then wedding to Basketball Wives star Evelyn Lozada.
But things took a dark turn when Johnson was arrested on a domestic violence charge before the
first episode was scheduled to premiere in 2012. Johnson was accused of head-butting Lozada so hard
that she required hospital treatment. Following his arrest, VH1 immediately removed the show
from its schedule, announcing in a statement, "Due to the unfortunate events over the
weekend and the seriousness of the allegations, VH1 is pulling the series Ev and Ocho from its
schedule and has no current plans of airing it." The Miami Dolphins then released Johnson
from their roster, and just days later, Lozada filed for divorce. Johnson went
on to have a year of probation. In 2020, he looked back on the incident by tweeting, "I lost my temper for once in life for 3 seconds
& it cost me a [lifetime's] worth of work." But Lozada took issue with that version of the
story, as she responded in an Instagram video, "It's messages like this [...] that are triggers
for me. [...] It wasn't the first time." "And I'm trying to move on, but as a
victim, how am I supposed to move on." Pretty Wild started as a fairly typical
E! reality show about a new age mother raising teenage girls in Hollywood. But
things changed pretty much right out of the gate. One of the show's stars, Alexis Neiers, now known by her married name Alexis Haines,
explained to Entertainment Tonight in 2019, "It was supposed to be just kind of like the
hippy, crunchy version of the Kardashians, and then all of a sudden it made a 180 when
I was arrested on the second day of filming." Neiers wasn't just arrested. She
was also accused of being part of the infamous "Bling Ring," the group
of teens who robbed celebrity homes in 2010 and inspired the Sofia
Coppola movie of the same name. E! then retooled Pretty Wild to have it
cover how Neiers and her family dealt with the scandal. What made matters much worse
was that both Neiers and her live-in friend, Tess Taylor, reportedly had drug
problems. As Neiers revealed to ET, "I was using heroin every single
day, all day long... I mean, I was loaded from the second we started
filming to the second we stopped." The show ended up getting canceled
after only one season, once photos of Neiers and Taylor using heroin surfaced
online. Both girls credit the cancellation for helping them eventually get clean.
As Neiers put it to The Cut in 2020, "It was the best thing that ever happened
to me. [...] It was kind of the perfect storm that inspired me to get out of that place." "Nancy Jo, this is Alexis Neiers calling. I'm calling to let
you know how disappointed I am in your story." Singer-songwriter CeeLo Green was at the top
of his game in the early 2010s, thanks to his massive hit song "Forget You" and his role
as a judge on The Voice. He was so popular at the time that TBS even gave him his own reality
show, called The Good Life, which offered fans a behind-the-scenes look into his successful career.
But everything changed in 2014. That was when he pleaded no contest to a felony count of furnishing
ecstasy to a woman two years prior. The woman had also accused Green of sexually assaulting her,
though prosecutors didn't pursue that charge. Green maintained his innocence, but he made things
worse by taking to Twitter to make controversial statements about rape, equating it to burglary,
and claiming that people who have been sexually assaulted remember it. He eventually
attempted to make amends, as he tweeted, "I sincerely apologize for my comments being
taken so far out of context. I only intended on a healthy exchange to help heal those who love
me from the pain I had already caused from this." TBS went on to cancel The Good Life
before its second season premiered, and around the same time, Green also
left The Voice. He did eventually return to the latter show in 2018,
though not without controversy. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, a spinoff of Toddlers
& Tiaras, followed spirited beauty pageant kid Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson and her wacky but
supportive family. While the show seemed innocent enough, things took a controversial turn in 2014.
That's when TMZ reported that Thompson's mother, Mama June Shannon, was dating a convicted child
molester following her split from her husband. Photos emerged of June with the man at a hotel
and also of him around her daughter. TLC went on to cancel Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,
as the network explained in a statement, "Supporting the health and welfare of these
remarkable children is our only priority." But Shannon wasn't happy with that decision,
and she took to Facebook to deny the claims, claiming that she hadn't seen the man
in question in ten years. As she put it, "The statement of me dating a sex
offender is totally untrue. [...] I would not ever, ever, ever put my kids in danger." But that wasn't the last of Shannon's
troubles, as she began abusing drugs with another boyfriend. That led to her
arrest and Thompson having to move out of her home and in with her sister. Shannon
had booked another reality show on WEtv in 2017 that focused on her makeover called
Mama June: From Not to Hot, though it was later turned into Mama June: Family Crisis
to focus on her recovery from addiction. "I am so not ready to deal with this." 19 Kids and Counting followed the daily
lives of the Duggars, a very large and religious family. In 2015, a 2006 police report
surfaced that revealed that eldest son Josh Duggar had previously been investigated for child
molestation when he was a teenager, and that two of his sisters were among his six victims. TLC
then announced that they and the Duggar family were no longer moving forward. Josh admitted
to the accusations, saying in a statement, "I acted inexcusably for which I am
extremely sorry and deeply regret." The Duggars attempted to spin the situation,
saying in a statement on their official website, "Josh, our daughters and our entire
family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward. We are so pleased
with the wonderful adults they have all become." Parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar also claimed, "Even though we would never choose
to go through something so terrible, each one of our family
members drew closer to God." In April 2021, Josh was arrested
on child sexual abuse charges. As a result, the Duggars' Counting On spin-off
was canceled. Josh was later convicted, and he faces potentially up to 20 years in prison. The 2009 VH1 show Megan Wants a Millionaire
was supposed to focus on reality star Megan Hauserman as she looked for a wealthy
man who could eventually make her a trophy wife. Hauserman had already
appeared on some other VH1 shows like Rock of Love and I Love Money, as
well as The CW's Beauty and the Geek. While Megan Wants a Millionaire sounded
like just your average tacky dating show, things became much more serious when it
was discovered that one of the contestants, Ryan Jenkins, was wanted for killing his wife
Jasmine. Jenkins had even wrapped another VH1 reality appearance on I Love Money 3.
Both shows were pulled from the network once it was revealed that Jenkins was a
person of interest in the murder case. And just eight days after Jasmine's body
was discovered, Jenkins took his own life. The entire incident made it abundantly
clear that the reality industry had to do a better job of protecting their cast members
by performing more thorough background checks.
