Real World alum Sarah Becker is dead at 52.
Becker was best known for starring on season 5 of MTV’s The Real World, which took place in Miami and aired in 1996. A family member confirmed to TMZ on Sunday, June 23, that Becker died by suicide last week in her home in Illinois.
Per her family, Becker had moved to Illinois last year to be a caretaker to her mother and sister but had planned to move back to California at some point. Leading up to her death, Becker reportedly struggled with her mental health and was involved in a skateboarding accident.
Becker was 25 when she joined The Real World season 5 in 1996, which took place in Miami. On the show, she described herself as a “19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body.”
From La Jolla, California, Becker was working in the comic book industry at the time and worked for Wildstorm Productions (or WildStorm), a comic book imprint.
Some Real World fans might remember her bringing a puppy back to the house in the season’s 13th episode, whom she named Leroy. Her costars on season 5 included Dan Renzi, Melissa Padrón, Joe Patane, Cynthia Roberts, Flora Alekseyeva and Mike Lambert.
After learning of her death, friends of Becker flocked to social media to share their memories of the former reality television star.
“Sarah Becker was made of pure sunshine… Full of energy and positivity, you couldn’t help but feel her warmth standing in her presence. I am grateful for our adventures and laughs. Big hugs to all the Wildstorm fam!” Daniel Norton posted via Facebook on Sunday.
“I think Sarah was always one of those people, that after you’ve met them, you have a fond memory or a funny story with them in it,” Norton continued. “Something you can always look back on and share with who you’re with. That was her power.”
Another friend, Joel Benjamin, shared several photos of Becker via Facebook, along with a heartfelt message calling her “one [of] the nicest people” he had ever met.
“I just found out that one on the nicest people that have ever been put in my life, especially during my impressionable ages in my life has passed away,” Benjamin wrote. “Every time I thought of her I would always see her smile, and bubbly personality. You were loved and will be missed.”
Author Jeff Mariotte also took to Facebook to pay tribute to Becker. “I saw the news today that we’ve lost one of everyone’s favorite WildStorm folks, Sarah Becker,” he wrote on Sunday. “Even if you weren’t into comics in the 90s you might remember her from The Real World (and from the opening episode of her season, some of which was filmed in our offices and at Sarah’s wild going-away party).”
Mariotte concluded, “She added sunshine to every room she entered, the fans loved her, and so did we all. Fair winds, Sarah. We’ll miss you.”
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