We all have our favorite reality TV stars. The people who we quote, meme, and never scroll past. And so often, our faves are the ones who will say the quiet part out loud, who clap back when someone annoys them, and who are unafraid of the villain edit. Because so frequently on reality TV one person’s villain is another’s hero. At Cosmopolitan, we believe that the best reality stars are the ones who feel like they could be snarking in our group chats or gossiping at work—the ones who feel like us. And since nothing is more relatable than being misunderstood and no one understands this better than reality stars themselves, we asked six to tell us who they think is the most unfairly maligned person on reality TV.
“Rachel Lindsay: Strength in women gets mislabeled quite quickly on reality TV. She was called ‘angry,’ ‘cold’ and at times ‘too serious’ when in reality, she was just decisive, intelligent, and unwilling to coddle nonsense.” —Tayshia Adams
“Rob Rausch: People are quick to think he’s just a snake-loving playboy, but he’s truly caring, kind, and smart, which people are starting to realize.” —Serena Page
“I used to watch Flavor of Love with my aunts and mom and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s up with Tiffany Pollard?’ But now that I’m in this spot, I’m like, ‘Dang, she was really just misunderstood.’ I understand why she acted the way she did and did what she did. She’s so iconic.” —Olandria Carthen
“Lisa Rinna: She is so misunderstood. I think she just loves the truth; she’s not afraid to be herself. She’s 100 percent authentic. I think it can be polarizing, but she is iconic.” —Lisa Barlow
“Danielle Reyes from Big Brother season 2 and The Traitors season 3. There’s this misconception that she’s bad at the game or that she’s some sort of villain, but she’s actually a really, really, lovely person.” —Bob the Drag Queen
“I would say that Wes Bergmann is a misunderstood reality star. On TV, we have come to know him as this villainous character who lays on the bravado and knows how to get people riled up, but in real life, he is the exact opposite. He’s super personable, an incredible girl dad, and overall a great person.” —Dylan Efron
