Fans and former stars of MTV are mourning the tragic, untimely passing of one of its alums, Sarah Becker.
The former reality television star, who first broke into the spotlight in 1996 when she joined the cast of MTV's The Real World: Miami, took her own life earlier this week, TMZ first reported. She was 52.
Her family informed the outlet that Becker was living in Illinois, where she had moved last year to take care of her mother and sister, though she had planned to move back to California.
She had been reportedly struggling with her mental health in recent months, and was struggling with the aftermath of a recent skateboarding accident.
A spokesperson for MTV told People: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sarah Becker," adding: "Our hearts go out to her family and friends in this time of grief."
When Becker first joined The Real World — MTV's longest-running show, which ran for 33 seasons from 1992 to 2017 and saw a cast of young adults temporarily live together in a new city — she was then 25 years old, and a comic book store worker from La Jolla, California.
© FacebookHer season of Real World made for the first time a cast was tasked with a season-long assignment; they had to create and run a start-up business with $50,000 of seed money, however conflict quickly ensued and they failed to do so.
Her housemates and co-stars included Flora Alekseyeun, Dan Renzi, Melissa Padrón, Joe Patane, Mike Lambert, and Cynthia Roberts, some of which have taken to their social media accounts to pay tribute in light of her sudden passing.
Taking to Instagram, Alekseyeun wrote: "I am beyond myself and sad to just hear that my roommate Sarah died. I can't believe this," and recalled: "She was the most selfless person I knew. She was always kind and helpful to everyone."
© InstagramThough she noted she hadn't "spoken to her in years and never knew she was troubled," she maintained: "My prayers go out to her family. RIP my roommate, my friend. May you skate with angels and never feel pain again."
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Renzi, sharing a statement on both TikTok and Instagram, similarly wrote: "Sarah and I had not spoken since the end of the show, so I don't know anything about her struggles."
© InstagramHe continued: "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," concluding with: "I can only say, it's very sad."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
