Andy Warhol once predicted that in the future, everyone would be famous for 15 minutes — and
that's about as long as fame lasted for these former reality TV stars.
Their lives went from super-famous to super-boring so fast, in fact, you may have already forgotten
about them.
Here's a quick blast from the past to remind you why they were once household names, and
how mundane their post-fame lives have become.
Evan Marriott
He became one of the first major reality television stars in 2003, when he appeared on the FOX
dating competition series Joe Millionaire.
On the show, Evan Marriott, who was really a construction worker at the time, convinced
a bunch of women he was filthy rich.
More than a decade after captivating America, Marriott's life gives new meaning to the term
"Average Joe."
He reportedly struggled to find work after his TV gig, but eventually found his footing.
He told People at the 2015 Evolution of Relationship Reality Shows panel, "I started a business
for myself, and everything is great.
I did my first job—I got it and literally almost was in tears … This is where I should
have been."
Prior to the panel, sources told People that Marriott was "adamant about living an anonymous
life" and "had no interest in revisiting" his brief stint as a TV star.
Alex Michel
After the first season of The Bachelor, star Alex Michel certainly seemed like he was ready
to make a go at Hollywood.
He became a spokesperson for Match-dot-com and Princess Cruises and even appeared in
a short film.
However, in the years that followed, Michel reportedly made deliberate steps to distance
himself from the Bachelor franchise and Hollywood altogether.
In 2016, host Chris Harrison revealed he was having trouble contacting Michel about appearing
on the 20th anniversary special, going so far as to claim that Michel was "missing."
"Where is Alex today?"
"I don't know.
I really don't."
"He's AWOL?!"
"Witness protection?
I don't know."
Even New York magazine had trouble tracking down Michel for its big story on the ABC juggernaut
in December 2015.
According to Michel's public LinkedIn page, he worked for Microsoft for almost 10 years
before becoming the CEO of a company called NewCo in Washington, D.C.
Daisy de la Hoya
As one of the biggest stars to come out of VH1's reality TV boom, Daisy de la Hoya made
a name for herself in 2008 on the second season of Bret Michaels' dating show, Rock of Love
2, before starring in her own spin-off, Daisy of Love, the following year.
In a 2016 interview with VH1, de la Hoya said she battled drug addiction following her reality
show stints, but had cleaned up and was planning to live the life of your typical American
college student.
"I've been doing a lot of traveling around the world and working on music and getting
involved in activism ... I'm actually going back to school right now.
I'm going for performing arts."
Rob and Amber Mariano
If there's one couple who made the most out of their 15 minutes of fame, it's Rob and
Amber Mariano.
The pair found love during Survivor: All-Stars in 2003 and appeared on as many as five separate
iterations of CBS' hit franchise, two of which they individually won.
"They gave me a million bucks!
Can you believe that?
My wife already won, and now I got it done."
They also appeared on not one, but two editions of the Emmy-winning juggernaut The Amazing
Race.
CBS even aired a two-hour special about their 2005 nuptials, which was seen by nearly 10
million viewers.
Despite all of their fame, popularity, and prize money, the Marianos now appear to be
living a pretty normal life Pensacola, Florida, where they're raising four daughters.
In 2013, Rob said he was busy painting toenails had no desire to return for another go at
Survivor.
"I won the show, my wife won the show, I played four times.
No disrespect to the show, I love the show with all my heart, but I've done everything
I want to do, I have nothing left to prove."
Darva Conger
She became a celebrity overnight after she won the FOX reality series Who Wants to Marry
a Multi-Millionaire? in 2000.
And after the show and her quickie marriage to Rick Rockwell ended, Darva Conger made
money by posing for Playboy and appearing on other reality shows such as Celebrity Boxing.
In 2015, she told Entertainment Tonight she had to take those gigs to pay the bills, since
she couldn't return to her old job.
"I worked in the emergency room around lots of people, so I couldn't just go back into
that.
I tried.
There was media everywhere.
There were paparazzi in emergency rooms."
Fortunately, things have gotten better in recent years: Conger returned to school to
become a nurse anesthetist, which she calls "a wonderful living."
Jon Gosselin
For several years, Jon Gosselin and his now ex-wife, Kate, dominated the reality TV scene
thanks to their hit show, Jon & Kate Plus 8, which was renamed Kate Plus 8 after the
couple split.
Kate rebounded just fine after their divorce, keeping her own show, landing other reality
shows, and taking a spin on Dancing With the Stars ... but Jon basically hit rock bottom.
In 2013, it was reported that the father of eight was waiting tables at a cafe and living
in a cabin in the woods without TV or internet access.
The following year, RadarOnline reported that Gosselin had been fired by the restaurant
for "blowing off shifts and coming in late."
In 2016, Gosselin appeared on The Steve Harvey Show, claiming he'd "lost everything" in the
divorce and saying he hadn't seen all his kids together in three years.
That appears to have at least somewhat changed as of August 2017, but that doesn't mean it's
gotten any less messy, per reports from TMZ.
Since leaving the small screen, Gosselin has worked as cook at TGI Friday's and as a DJ,
performing as "DJ J.G."
In March 2017, Gosselin convinced several media outlets he was making his debut as a
male stripper in Atlantic City.
But the truth wasn't nearly that exciting: he later admitted it was all just an April
Fool's Day joke, as well as a 40th birthday present for himself, in a confession video
that's only racked up around 100 views, as of the making of this video some six months
later ...
"Hi, I'm Jon Gosselin, and I just broke the internet.
And I messed with the media a little bit."
What a rascal!
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