Reality TV fame can come with some major downsides, which has made celebrities like The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice, Teen Mom‘s Amber Portwood, The Bachelor alum Sean Lowe and more say their time in the spotlight did more harm than good.
Even small stints on reality shows can have long-lasting effects — just ask Adrienne Bailon. The Cheetah Girls actress appeared on some early episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians during her relationship with Rob Kardashian.
Adrienne and Rob dated from 2007 to 2009, but they broke up after the sock designer cheated on her, which he admitted to on their reality show. However, the former 3LW singer remained very close to his sisters Kourtney, Kim and Khloé Kardashian. She even stood up as a bridesmaid during KoKo’s 2009 wedding to ex-husband Lamar Odom.
While The Real host is on good terms with the Kardashian-Jenner family, she previously admitted her ties to Rob put her career in a “sucky spot.”
“I was like, ‘Guys, but I’ve accomplished other things,'” the New York City native explained to Us Weekly in 2018. “And I think that even got misinterpreted as me saying at some point, I wish I had never done the show. I don’t think it was that at all. I just was annoyed that people tried to say that that was the only thing I had accomplished. … So, that was a sucky spot in my career.”
Adrienne isn’t the only person who has regrets from their reality TV past. Former Bachelor Sean was the leading man during season 17, where he met his wife, Catherine Giudici. The pair went on to appear on Marriage Bootcamp together. The Dallas native has since confessed that he regrets appearing on the WEtv show and “did it for the money.”
Sean explained in a blog post that he initially denied the opportunity to appear on Marriage Bootcamp but tried sending a “crazy counter offer” after being advised by a friend. Surprisingly, the reality show agreed to the staggering number.
“I’ll admit it: I did it for the money. … I wish money wasn’t a factor in our lives, but it is. This money made a difference,” Sean wrote. “I’m sure many will label me a ‘sell-out,’ and honestly, I’m not sure I could argue the point.”
Click through the gallery to see reality stars’ biggest regrets about appearing on television.