The Real World: San Diego

For the current 2011 season of the same TV series, see The Real World: San Diego (2011).

The Real World: San Diego
Title frame
Format	Reality show
Created by	Jonathan Murray Mary-Ellis Bunim
Starring	Brad Fiorenza Cameran Eubanks Charlie Dordevich Frankie Abernathy Jacquese Smith Jamie Chung Randy Barry Robin Hibbard
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of episodes	26[1]
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	MTV Syndication
Original run	January 6, 2004 – June 29, 2004
Chronology
Preceded by	The Real World: Paris
Followed by	The Real World: Philadelphia

The Real World: San Diego is the fourteenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The San Diego season premiered in 2004. It was the second season of The Real World to be filmed in southern California after The Real World: Los Angeles in 1993, and the third season to be filmed in California after The Real World: San Francisco in 1994. The season premiere was watched by approximately 4 million viewers.^[2]

Assignment

Almost every season of The Real World, beginning with its fifth season, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. The San Diego cast worked in San Diego Bay as crew members for Next Level Sailing on a boat named Stars & Stripes, which carried visitors daily. Before beginning their regular duties as tour guides, which included preparing yachts for excursions, piloting them in San Diego Bay, and providing maintenance, the cast had to undergo a course in sailing, and navigating the vessels. This created a problem for Frankie Abernathy, who has a phobia of large metal objects, such as boats, and is initially frightened by the sight of the harbor.^[3]

The residence

The North Harbor Drive house, where the cast resided.

The cast's residence was a custom-designed, two-story house at 4922 North Harbor Drive in San Diego. The house, formerly a Blue Crab Seafood restaurant and a marine supply company, sits on the edge of the southeast end of Driscoll's Wharf, overlooking America's Cup Harbor in Point Loma. MTV.com gives its size as 5,000 square feet (460 m²), though realworldhouses.com gives it as 10,328 square feet (959.5 m²). During filming of the series, the property included a sand volleyball court and basketball court.^[3][4]

Cast

Cast member	Age1	Hometown	Biography
Brad Fiorenza		Chicago, Illinois	Brad is an Italian-American from Chicago who has just graduated from school with an accounting degree. He enjoys extreme sports and motorcycles. MTV.com describes him as a "hunky, fun-loving daredevil."[5]
Cameran Eubanks		Anderson, South Carolina	Cameran was born and raised in an upper class family in Anderson, South Carolina, and enjoys playing pranks on people. She has had an on-and-off boyfriend for a year, but says that he is merely a "trophy". Her parents' divorce, which occurred when she was in high school, deeply affected her, and she continues to become emotional when speaking of it. MTV.com describes her as "warm, friendly and down to earth".[6]
Charlie Dordevich	18[7]	Belgrade, Serbia[7]	Charlie is an 18-year-old guitarist and aspiring musician from Belgrade, Serbia. An outgoing person whose creative attempts to find fun often get him into trouble, his traditional parents enlisted him in a boarding school when he was twelve. He enjoys traveling because he doesn't like staying in the same place for too long. MTV.com describes Charlie as a free spirit who looks as if he "came straight out of the movie Dazed and Confused."[7] Charlie moved into the house as a replacement for Frankie, after Frankie had moved out.[3]
Frankie Abernathy	23[8]	Kansas City, Missouri	Frankie is a certified masseuse and aspiring artist with a number of piercings, and a fondness for punk rock music and Hello Kitty.[9] She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease that affects the respiratory and immune systems, at the age of three, and although she spent most of her childhood and adolescence symptom-free, she experienced numerous hospital stays in her teens. She is a student of spiritual healing who paid for her education by working in a porn shop. MTV.com describes her as "extremely pretty" and "creative".[10] Frankie has a phobia of boats, which made the group assignment difficult for her. She leaves the house early, due to conflict with her housemates, and homesickness.[3]
Jacquese Smith[11]		Paterson, New Jersey	Jacquese was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and was forced to become the "man of the house" when his father left the family, learning how to take care of himself. MTV.com describes him as a motivated young man with "a quick wit and an even quicker tongue", and a "class clown" who uses his sense of humor to provide comic relief for his friends. He is also said to have a tenacious work ethic and drive, and is a positive influence on those in his life.[12] The first housemate he greeted was Frankie, and the two of them first walked into the house together. They were perhaps the closest with one another during their stay there.[9]
Jamie Chung	20	San Francisco, California[13][14]	Jamie is a second-generation Korean-American woman raised by traditional parents in San Francisco. She works two jobs to pay her tuition, but also enjoys partying. According to mtv.com, Jamie's friends feel she does not have the best taste in men, and although she is very picky when choosing her dates, she tends to overlook obvious signs of trouble.[15]
Randy Barry		Boston, Massachusetts	Randy is an industrial sculptor who is often found creating a new piece of artwork in his basement studio, and works as the head of security at an A-list Boston nightclub. MTV.com describes him as "creative, insightful, and charismatic". A single man, he is said to be easygoing and able to make friends and female admirers easily.[16]
Robin Hibbard		Tampa, Florida	Robin is a single woman who was working at a Coyote Ugly Saloon when she was cast. She enjoys dancing. MTV.com describes her as a "spunky, energetic and gorgeous party girl", and "a genuine person who helps people break out of their own shells".[17]

^Note 1 : Age at the time of filming.

Rape allegation

A 22-year-old woman claimed she was raped in the Real World house sometime during the night of November 14, 2003 by an acquaintance of Real World cast member Randy Barry, identified in local reports as "Justin", who was staying at the house as a guest. The woman claimed the man bought her a drink at a downtown San Diego nightspot, and that she blacked out after drinking it. According to cast member Jamie Chung, a member of production staff said that the young woman was found lying naked on the bathroom floor of the Real World house as Justin emerged, saying, "I just hit that." That person then dressed the woman and moved her to the living room couch, where Chung, upon arriving home on the morning of November 15, found her. Chung then helped that other person move the woman to the downstairs guest bedroom. Chung and the camera crew woke the woman at 10:30a.m. while cameras were rolling. Chung told the woman that she may have been sexually assaulted in the bathroom during the night, but the woman, according to Chung, appeared disoriented and had difficulty speaking. With the woman's help, Chung contacted a male friend of hers and arranged for her transportation home. Feeling pain in her genital region, the woman reported the incident to police on November 16, and a subsequent medical examination revealed abrasions to both her vagina and anus. According to police, the woman believes her assailant drugged her, brought her back to the Real World house and then while she was unconscious, raped her in the bathroom, since that is the only place in the house where the show's cameras are off-limits.

Another cast member told police that he had seen the woman barely able to stand up in the bathroom, mumbling incoherently and looking confused, according to the search warrant.

The police sexual assault unit began investigating the next day, November 17, but the Real World cast and crew had left on the cast's group trip to Mexico, and all film from November 14 and 15 had been shipped from the house to the production headquarters in Los Angeles. Kevin Lee, the on-site producer of show, told police he had not viewed the footage but that, after talking to the cast, believed the woman might have been raped, and confirmed that Justin was resident in the house at the time of the alleged assault. Why this did not motivate him to look at the film or to use the on-site film-editing computer to review the incident is unknown. Lee agreed to supply the police with the consent forms and photo ID cards that listed who was in the house at the time of the incident, and gave them a tour of the house, allowing them to search the bathroom for evidence.

At the end of the tour, however, Lee received a phone call from Pam Naughton, an attorney representing Bunim-Murray Productions, which produces the show. Naughton refused to permit the police to search the bedrooms and stated that the producers would not turn over any documents or film until she personally reviewed them. The police then obtained a search warrant, and raided the house, confiscating the film-editing computer, the cast's e-mail computer, bedding, towels, videotapes and other possible items of evidence. After examining hours of footage taped for the show, and seizing evidence at the scene, police made no arrests, and the San Diego County District Attorney's office concluded there was not enough evidence to warrant any charges.

Nearly a month of footage from the season ended up on the cutting room floor due to the allegation. While Charlie Dordevich only appears in three episodes, he lived in the house almost as long as Frankie, who appeared in the first 23 episodes.^[18][19][20]

TV Guide critic J. Max Robins opined, "The sexual-assault charge is the most tragic event in a long list of disturbing incidents that have plagued The Real World since it debuted 12 years ago."^[21]

After filming

Six months after the cast left the Real World house, all eight of them appeared to discuss their experiences both during and since their time on the show on 2 Punk Rock 4 This: The Real World San Diego Reunion, which premiered on July 9, 2004, and was hosted by Vanessa Minnillo.

Abernathy lost her battle with cystic fibrosis on June 9, 2007 at the age of 25.^[22]

Real World/Road Rules Challenges

Cast Member	Challenges	Challenges Won
Brad Fiorenza	Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Gauntlet III, The Duel 2, The Ruins, Cutthroat	Cutthroat
Cameran Eubanks	Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2	None
Charlie Dordevich	-	-
Frankie Abernathy	-	-
Jacquese Smith	Battle of the Sexes 2	None
Jamie Chung	The Inferno II	The Inferno II
Randy Barry	Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2	The Gauntlet 2
Robin Hibbard	Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Gauntlet III, The Island, The Duel 2, Rivals	None

Challenges in bold indicate he contestant was a finalist on the Challenge, but lost in the Final Race.

References

1. ^ Episode synopsis list for The Real World: San Diego at MTV.com
2. ^ "MTV Viewers Numbers Game for the Real World Denver Premiere". November 29, 2006. http://www.mm-agency.com/blog/mtv-real-world/mtv-viewers-numbers-game-for-the-real-world-denver-premiere/360/. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} The Real World: San Diego page at mtv.com
4. ^ Point Loma House at realworldhouses.com
5. ^ Brad Fiorenza biography page, MTV.com, 2004
6. ^ Cameran Eubanks biography page, MTV.com, 2004
7. ^ ^{a b c} Charlie Dordevich biography page. MTV.com. accessed July 26, 2011.
8. ^ Harris, Chris. "'Real World: San Diego' Alum Frankie Abernathy Dead At 25", MTV.com, June 12, 2007
9. ^ ^{a b} Harris, Chris; "Real World: San Diego Cast Says Frankie Abernathy 'Lived Every Day To The Fullest'"; mtv.com; June 15, 2007
10. ^ Frankie Abernathy biography page, MTV.com, 2004
11. ^ Bonko, Larry (January 7, 2004). "Salem High Grad Gets Taste of The "Real World"; "It Made Me a Better Person," Says 19-Year-Old of His Stint on MTV Series". The Virginian-Pilot: p. B1. 
12. ^ Jacquese Smith biography page, MTV.com, 2004
13. ^ Jamie Chung biography page, MTV.com, 2004, accessed March 28, 2011.
14. ^ "Jamie Chung: Fighting and Singing in Sucker Punch", Reel Movie News, September 3, 2009]
15. ^ Jamie Chung biography page, MTV.com, 2004
16. ^ Randy Barry biography page, MTV.com, 2004
17. ^ Robin Hibbard biography page, MTV.com, 2004
18. ^ Haberman, Lia; "A 'Real World' Rape?"; Eonline.com; November 26, 2003
19. ^ Paulsen, Wade; "Police raid 'Real World: San Diego' house after date-rape allegation"; realitytvworld.com; November 26, 2003
20. ^ Grossberg, Doug; "D.A.: No Rape in "Real World" Eonline.com; July 22, 2004
21. ^ Robins, J. Max; "Robins Report"; TV Guide; December 27, 2003.
22. ^ Martin, Michael. "Frankie Abernathy of The Real World San Diego Reported Dead", Michael Martin Agency, June 11, 2007

External links

• Official site
• "The Real World: San Diego: Meet the Cast". MTV.com
• "The Real World: San Diego: Full Episode Synopses and Recaps". MTV.com