Connect with us

Miami, FL

Sarah Becker dead aged 52: Reality TV star who appeared on MTV’s ‘The Real World Miami’ dies by suicide

Published

on

Sarah Becker dead aged 52: Reality TV star who appeared on MTV’s ‘The Real World Miami’ dies by suicide


Sarah Becker, a reality TV star who appeared on the fifth season of MTV’s The Real World, has died by suicide, TMZ reported.

A family member of Becker’s confirmed that she died early last week at her Illinois home.

She reportedly moved to the state to take care of her ailing mother and sister but planned to move to California when she could.

Becker was struggling with mental health symptoms in recent months, compounded by the responsibility of caring for her family and a skateboarding accident.

Advertisement

She made a career for herself as a comic book editor, and when she was 25 years old, she got a chance to star in a 22-episode season of The Real World in 1996.

Sarah Becker, pictured in a selfie, died last week at age 52 by suicide, TMZ reported

Becker revealed to the Chicago Tribune in 1997 that she didn't like the fame she got from the show, saying she sometimes wore a hood when going out.

Becker revealed to the Chicago Tribune in 1997 that she didn’t like the fame she got from the show, saying she sometimes wore a hood when going out.

The Real World is a show on MTV that ran for 33 seasons up until 2016, making it one of the longest running reality shows in history. 

Each season is set in a different city, with the narrative following a group young adults from different walks of life that are forced to become roommates for several months.

Becker’s season was set in Miami as she roomed with seven other strangers in their early to mid twenties.

Her co-stars included Dan Renzi, Melissa Padrón, Joe Patane, Cynthia Roberts, Flora Alekseyeun, and Mike Lambert.

Advertisement

Alekseyeun posted a tribute to Becker on her Instagram Sunday, calling her former roommate ‘the most selfless person I knew.’

‘She was always kind and helpful to everyone. I haven’t spoken to her in years and never knew she was troubled,’ Alekseyeun wrote.

‘My prayers go out to her family. RIP my roomate, my friend. May you skate with angels and never feel pain again.’ 

The never-before-seen twist for this season was that the group of youngsters had to attempt to start a business together from their swanky waterfront house in South Beach.

Becker was one of the oldest members of the cast but described herself as ’19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body.’

Advertisement

Her official MTV bio also revealed that she graduated from the Indiana University and worked at WildStorm Comics in La Jolla, California.

‘A tomboy, Sarah says she doesn’t deal well with pettiness and wants to stay true to herself while on the show,’ her bio read.

Becker is pictured here riding a skateboard. She was an avid skateboarder all throughout her life

Becker is pictured here riding a skateboard. She was an avid skateboarder all throughout her life

The cover image for Season 5 of The Real World Miami, which Becker applied to as joke

The cover image for Season 5 of The Real World Miami, which Becker applied to as joke

After the show ended, Becker spoke to the Chicago Tribune about her experience being on TV.

‘For me, “The Real World” was a six-month long vacation,”’ she said. ‘I knew from the get-go that it couldn’t be a stepping stone to bigger and better things.’

‘I want my own magazine some day, and I don’t think Sarah from “The Real World” is going to have anything to do with that,’ Becker said.

Advertisement

Becker also revealed that she didn’t like the fame she got from the show, saying she sometimes wore a hood when going out.

Becker actually applied to be on The Real World as a joke and was shocked when she was accepted.

Despite having reservations initially, she decided to join the cast, adding her experience ‘was a blast. And I learned that I’m pretty happy about who I am.’

Friends of Becker took to social media in the hours after her death was made public to honor her memory.

‘I saw the news today that we’ve lost one of everyone’s favorite WildStorm folks, Sarah Becker,’ wrote former WildStorm Vice President of Marketing Jeff Mariotte on Facebook.

Advertisement

‘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).’

‘I’m so terribly sorry that Sarah’s gone,’ he 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.’

Another friend, Daniel Norton, said Becker was ‘made of pure sunshine.’

‘You couldn’t help but feel her warmth standing in her presence. I am grateful for our adventures and laughs,’ Daniel Norton wrote.

Becker is credited as the editor on dozens of comic series WildStorm put out in the 1990s.

Advertisement

Becker’s family described her as a selfless person who took care of everyone else. She died at age 52.



Source link

Miami, FL

Miami’s FIFA Fan Fest draws thousands to Bayfront Park to watch Team USA win World Cup match against Bosnia

Published

on

Miami’s FIFA Fan Fest draws thousands to Bayfront Park to watch Team USA win World Cup match against Bosnia



Thousands of fans packed Bayfront Park in Miami for Fan Fest to watch Team USA advance in the World Cup, cheering through rain and celebrating the win together.

Advertisement

Despite a soggy start, the crowd stayed loud and energetic throughout the night.

“It’s been so fun! I mean I did have a little bit of a heart attack when we got red flagged but as long as we’re winning, it’s all good, it’s all good!” said Tania Rosales, a fan at the event.

Joe Martorana said the rain didn’t dampen the mood. “Oh it’s awesome man! I mean too bad it had to rain but everything looks great we’re having a great time,” he said.

Fans from around the world attended the event, with many saying this World Cup has felt different.

“It’s really blossomed in this country and especially South Florida, it’s amazing to see and it’s always fun to watch,” said Elisia Martorana.

Advertisement

Rosales said the sense of community stood out to her. “It’s so nice seeing everyone together treating each other with kindness, no matter what team wins whatever team loses, we’re still there to cheer each other on,” she said.

Fan Fest at Bayfront Park is free and open to the public through July 5.



Source link

Continue Reading

Miami, FL

Ex-con lists $138M in luxury penthouses, including Miami trophy condo

Published

on

Ex-con lists 8M in luxury penthouses, including Miami trophy condo


A former attorney-turned-investor who spent nearly three years in prison for defrauding the government is selling two luxury penthouses in Miami and New York for a combined $138 million. 

William Duker is seeking $78 million for his three-story unit in Miami’s Apogee complex at 800 South Pointe Drive, the New York Post reported. The price amounts to $8,667 per square foot of indoor space. The home, which spans floors 22 through 24, includes about 9,000 square feet of indoor living space and 10,600 square feet of wraparound terraces, according to a news release. It has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, three half-baths and a private rooftop pool. 

Dora Puig of Luxe Living Realty and Carlo Gambino of Douglas Elliman Florida have the listing. 

Duker bought the unit as a concrete shell for $16 million, or $1,778 per square foot of indoor space, in 2008 and spent five years building it out. He first listed the penthouse for $65 million a decade ago. 

Advertisement
800 South Pointe Drive (380Production)

The investor is also selling his penthouse in New York City’s Tribeca for $59.5 million. The 7,500-square-foot unit in the Sky Lofts at 145 Hudson Street has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms with a 4,500-square-foot wraparound terrace, the outlet said. Duker bought the penthouse for $30.5 million in 2009 from developer Stanley Scott.

Jim St. Andre and Trevor Stephens of Compass, and Adam Modlin and Andrew Nierenberg of the Modlin Group co-hold the listing. 

“I’m 72, and I’m just beginning to organize this next phase of my life,” Duker told the New York Post’s Gimme Shelter. “The last thing I need now are two apartments of this size.”

Duker’s penthouse portfolio is a far cry from the prison cells he spent 33 months in after pleading guilty in 1997 to four felony counts. While working for FDIC and Resolution Trust Corporation, Duker overcharged the government $1.4 million and was charged with making false statements and claims, mail fraud and obstructing a federal audit. In addition to his prison sentence, Duker was disbarred and fined $7,500. He paid $2.58 million covering criminal restitution and civil damages, The Real Deal previously reported. 

The judge in the case was Sonia Sotomayor, who is now a Supreme Court Justice. She said at the time that the case was difficult to reconcile because Duker helped the government recover millions of dollars even as he defrauded it, the Post reported. 

Advertisement

As a lawyer, Duker helped recover money stolen during the savings and loans crisis of the 1980s and ’90s, which cost taxpayers $125 billion. 

After his stint behind bars, Duker co-founded the electronic discovery company Amici, which Xerox acquired for $174 million in 2006. 

He owns properties in Upstate New York, Manhattan, Miami, Palm Beach and Italy. He also has a 270-foot superyacht, Sybaris.  

Grace McClung

Read more

Watch out, Ken Griffin: William Duker wants $65M for Apogee penthouse

Advertisement

$30M penthouse buyer tied to FDIC scam

$15M Apogee Closing Tops Miami-Dade Weekly Condo Sales

Residential

South Florida

$15M Apogee closing tops Miami-Dade weekly condo sales  

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Miami, FL

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade

Published

on

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade


pink mosaic wraps alaïa’s miami boutique inside and out

 

Alaïa opens its first boutique in Miami’s Design District, continuing its long-running collaboration with Swedish architecture studio Halleroed. Set within one of the city’s most design-conscious neighborhoods, the boutique also nods to Miami’s Art Deco legacy, establishing a more tactile architectural identity.

 

Pink mosaic tiles define almost every surface, wrapping the facade, floors, walls, and bespoke furnishings in a continuous skin. Halleroed uses the material to link architecture and interior, allowing curved geometries and rounded volumes to emerge from a single surface. At the center of the ground floor, the mosaic appears to peel away from the ceiling before descending into a suspended lantern that anchors the lounge below, giving the boutique the atmosphere of an inhabitable installation.

Advertisement

all images courtesy of Alaïa

 

 

halleroed reinterprets art deco through materiality

 

A circular opening punctures the pink mosaic facade, framing an organically shaped planter designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc. Known for pioneering vertical gardens, Blanc has collaborated with Alaïa for decades, from the living wall of the maison’s Paris flagship to the artificial river created for Azzedine Alaïa’s apartment. In Miami, climbing plants become part of the architecture, softening the building.

Advertisement

 

The retail experience, designed by Halleroed’s Swedish team, follows a series of distinct environments. Circular rooms dedicated to footwear echo the recurring geometry of the building, while the upper floor, reserved for ready-to-wear, adopts a more intimate atmosphere. Folding mirrored screens multiply reflections and perspectives, expanding the relatively compact spaces through light.

 

The pink mosaic carries visitors through almost every room. Then, darker materials begin to appear. Black leather softens the seating, brushed metal catches the light, and glass reflects flashes of pink back into the space. The change is subtle, but it gives each room its own rhythm without breaking the flow.

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 2
pink mosaic continues across the facade

 

Advertisement

 

furniture becomes part of the architecture

 

The furniture feels like another layer of the architecture. Martin Brûlé has assembled a collection that brings together rare twentieth-century pieces with contemporary designs, allowing different generations to share the same room. Reinhard Müller’s Chambre à Air shelving stands near François Arnal’s Formule 1 lounge chair, while Vladimir Kagan’s sofas meet Brûlé’s own sculptural tables.

 

Elsewhere, Philippe Starck, Ron Arad, Tom Dixon, Philippe Malouin, and Gerard Kuijpers each make an appearance. The pieces seem to acknowledge one another through their rounded forms, unexpected silhouettes, and shared sense of sculpture.

Advertisement

 

The same shapes and materials keep reappearing, making one room feel connected to the next. The mosaic continues onto the facade, plants climb through the circular opening, furniture echoes the curves of the walls, and the clothes become one more layer within the space.

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 3
the suspended tiled lantern anchors the boutique’s central lounge

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 4
suspended tiled lantern anchors the central lounge beneath

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 5
Reinhard Müller’s Chambre à Air shelving stands within the open retail space

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 6
Vladimir Kagan sofas and sculptural furniture soften the central lounge

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 7
a planter designed by Patrick Blanc introduces greenery into the circular footwear gallery

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 8
curved display shelves emerge from the mosaic-clad walls

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 9
pink mosaic clads the fitting rooms

alaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade - 10
mirrored folding screens multiply the red look from different angles 

 

 

project info:

Advertisement

 

name: Alaïa Miami Design District Boutique

architect: Halleroed | @halleroed

fashion house: Alaïa | @maisonalaia

location: Miami Design District, Miami, Florida, USA

Advertisement

 

landscape design: Patrick Blanc 

interior design & furniture curation: Martin Brûlé | @martinbrulestudio





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending