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