Investigation Links Reality Shows, Suicide
Najai Turpin
Is there a link between reality shows and suicide?
An investigation by TheWrap, an entertainment website, found that 11 people have killed themselves "in tragedies that appear to be linked to their experience on television shows."
The site's examples include Najai Turpin, the 23-year-old fighter on NBC's The Contender who shot himself to death before his scheduled bout on the show. Also on the list is a woman who made hurtful comments about her sister's appearance for ABC's Extreme Makeover. Though the episode didn't air, Kelly McGee "went all to pieces" and killed herself after her sister learned of her remarks, TheWrap reported, citing relatives.
Of course, as TheWrap notes, many of the contestants who killed themselves had serious problems before joining the shows — "which may have been why they were looking for such instant TV fame in the first place."