From Famous To, Well, Infamous: Reality TV Stars Who Were Arrested In 2018

Reality TV shows are all about drama and tense situations, but for these former reality TV stars, reality got a little too real when they found themselves getting booked in the local jail and, in some cases, facing serious prison time for their various misdeeds.

For some stars, like “America’s Got Talent” finalist Michael Ketterer, their interactions with law enforcement were relatively short-lived and didn’t come with any lasting consequences. For others, like “Bad Girls Club” veteran Shannade Clermont, who took being a bad girl to a whole new level when she allegedly stole thousands of dollars from a dead man, their crimes may end up halting their careers for good — or at least putting them on hold while they serve out their prison sentences.

From fame and fortune to criminal charges and mug shots, here are a few reality TV stars who ended up on the wrong side of the law in 2018.

2018 proved to be a life-changing year for “Bad Girls Club” alum Shannade Clermont. After appearing on the reality show’s 14^th season in 2015 alongside her identical twin Shannon, Clermont seemed poised to become a social media star, having modeled for Kanye West’s Yeezy collection and amassing nearly 1 million followers on Instagram. However, the 24-year-old former TV bad girl proved to be a real-life bad girl after she was arrested for allegedly stealing a dead man’s identity — a man who had, prior to his untimely demise, hired her as a prostitute.

Clermont was arrested on fraud and identity theft charges in July. The investigation of an unidentified New York man’s death in January led investigators to Clermont, who they claim had had sex with the man in his home in exchange for money on the day before his death, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Authorities allege that Clermont then stole the man’s debit cards and proceeded to make “more than $20,000 in fraudulent purchases,” in addition to making at least one fraudulent money transfer, over the next few months, according to the release.

Clermont has pled guilty to one felony count of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced in November. She is scheduled to appear in court for her sentencing on February 13, where she faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Jorge Nava is known by reality TV fans as a former star of TLC’s “90 Day Fiancé,” but he made headline news in 2018 not for his TV appearances, but for his February arrest and subsequent prison sentence.

Police had pulled Nava over for a routine traffic violation when they discovered 293 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his car, People reports. He was subsequently arrested on charges of possession of marijuana for sale, possession of drug paraphernalia, and the intent to transport and/or sell marijuana, according to the outlet. Nava spent two days in jail until he secured his release by posting $25,000 bail.

That wasn’t the end of the story for Nava, though; he was later sentenced to two and a half years in prison, he told TMZ in a September interview. More than two years in prison is nothing to sniff at, but Nava could have been facing even more time behind bars; Nava told TMZ that he was originally facing 24 years because of his original charge of a class 2 felony, but his lawyer negotiated a plea deal that included the charge being reduced to a class 4 felony.

Nava wasn’t the only “90 Day Fiancé” alum to be arrested in 2018, either. Larissa Dos Santos Lima was arrested for domestic battery in November, but shortly beforehand, she scared her fans by changing her username to “@helpmeimwithoutphone.” She also turned her bio into a call for help, writing, “HE TURNED OFF HIDE MY PHONE HELP ME HE WANTS TO CALL THE POLICE HELP ME.” In Instagram posts of his own that were later deleted, her partner, Colt Johnson, accused Lima of overreacting “to problems that do not exist.”

A bachelorette party in Las Vegas earlier this year proved to be far from paradise for Amanda Stanton, a former contestant on “Bachelor In Paradise.”

Stanton, 28, was arrested for domestic battery in September after authorities alleged that she “battered” her boyfriend, Bobby Jacobs, during a hotel room altercation, Entertainment Tonight reports. Stanton, after indulging in a “few drinks,” got “rambunctious” with hotel security after they asked her to quiet down, according to a statement Stanton’s representative released to the outlet. After Stanton shoved Jacobs in a “playful” way, security reported it to police, who then came and investigated the matter, the statement continued.

“A physical altercation took place in a hotel room where it is alleged that Stanton battered her boyfriend,” Las Vegas police confirmed to Entertainment Tonight.

Stanton was released the same day she was arrested, and she pleaded not guilty to one count of battery domestic violence the following month. The case was dismissed in December.

“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Tommie Lee outdid herself in 2018 when she was arrested twice in less than 48 hours.

The 34-year-old mother of two was first arrested in October after allegedly physically assaulting her daughter at the child’s middle school by shoving her head into one of the lockers, Channel 2 Action News reports. The violent act got her arrested for felony aggravated assault, simple battery, first-degree child cruelty, and disruption of public schools, according to the outlet. She was released from jail the next day by posting $27,000 bond, but violated a judge’s orders to refrain from contacting her daughter less than 24 hours after her first arrest. She was arrested again at her home in Smyrna, Georgia after refusing to open the door for police; officers found her hiding in the attic, and she was charged with aggravated stalking and obstruction of a police officer, according to Channel 2 Action News.

Michael Ketterer, a singer who placed fifth on the 13^th season of “America’s Got Talent,” won over audiences with his heartfelt story of being a father to six children, which made it even more shocking when he was arrested for domestic violence in September.

The 41-year-old is alleged to have gotten into a heated altercation with his wife in a hotel room, one day after he filmed the “AGT” season finale, People reports. The argument must have been loud enough to cause someone to call the police, because officers arrived on the scene to check out what was happening, according to TMZ. After police saw that Ketterer’s wife had a red mark that looked to be an injury, they took Ketterer into custody, despite his wife’s insistence that she did not want to pursue charges, TMZ reports. Ketterer was released from custody after posting $50,000 bail, and he told TMZ that the incident was a “misunderstanding.”

Ultimately, Ketterer managed to avoid felony domestic violence charges, with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office deciding that a city attorney hearing would be a more appropriate response, a spokesperson for the office told People.

Another “AGT” contestant, teen singer Skilyr Hicks from season eight, was arrested months after Ketterer. Hicks, now 20 years old, was arrested for underage drinking in November.

[Photo: Getty Images]