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The Real World New Orleans 2

Real World cast member Ryan Knight died

Real World 24's Ryan Knight

by Andy Dehnart 29 Nov. 2014 | 8:56 am

The Real World New Orleans 2010 cast member Ryan Knight was found dead Thanksgiving morning. He was 29.

In a statement, the Kenosha Police Department said “there were no obvious signs of injuries.” He was at a friend’s house where someone saw him sleeping before 8 a.m., but just after 10 a.m., someone “discovered that Ryan was unconscious and not breathing.”

The “autopsy did not find ‘any anatomical cause of death.’ The official cause of death will be pending toxicology,” Kenosha police said. The statement also notes that “Ryan had complained of stomach issues the last two days” and that police “Are looking into the death as being medical or accidental.”

Citing “several of Ryan’s friends,” TMZ reports that “he was out partying Wednesday night with a bunch of people” and was discovered by a friend Thursday morning who “said he had choked on his own vomit.”

His last tweet, posted at 5:03 a.m. the morning he died, said, “You used to mean a lot.”

On Thanksgiving, his cast mates and co-stars tweeted and posted remembrances. MTV said in a generic statement,

“We are saddened to hear the news of the passing of Ryan Knight. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”

Knight followed his Real World time with several appearances on The Challenge; MTV collected “his most memorable moments” from both shows, including when he hit Frank during the “Rivals 2” reunion and, in a scene from the actual show, twice threatened to drown his ex-girlfriend, Jemmye, and then used her fear of ketchup against her.

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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