Reality TV’s troubled stars

Reality TV turned heartbreaking when “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” husband Russell Armstrong was found dead on Monday in an apparent suicide. The venture capitalist and his marriage struggles with wife Taylor were a regular part of the show. She had recently filed for divorce, and the couple was facing a $1.5-million breach of contract suit -- all added stress for a couple in the spotlight. But they aren’t the first troubled reality TV stars and probably not the last.  (David Livingston / Getty Images)

Claim to fame:“The Anna Nicole Show”
Point of meltdown: Anna Nicole Smith‘s career was looking up in 2004, despite the cancellation of her reality show. She landed a new job working for TrimSpa and even had her Playboy body back, but the illusion of her happy new life quickly faded during an appearance at the American Music Awards. She took the stage slurring her speech and mumbling about TrimSpa. She even threw her arms in the air and asked if the crowd liked her body. A rocky road followed, eventually leading to the famous widow’s death in 2007.  (Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Claim to fame:“American Idol” and “Fantasia for Real”
Point of meltdown: Fantasia’s relationship with a married man was nearly her downfall. The singer tried to commit suicide in August 2010 as news of the relationship hit newsstands. At the same time, Paula Cook, her boyfriend Antwuan’s wife, tried suing her for breaking up the marriage. And it was later revealed that Fantasia had an abortion during the same time frame. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Claim to fame: “Britain’s Got Talent""
Point of meltdown: Boyle was the “BGT” favorite, but when she didn’t win, the singer reportedly suffered a breakdown and checked into a hospital. She told Oprah Winfrey in 2010, “There are two types of exhaustion, exhaustion due to ill health and exhaustion due to work. I like to be busy, so I was very exhausted because of work. But I was fine. It’s a chapter of my life which is over now.” SuBo quickly bounced back after the mental check, releasing two albums, “I Dreamed a Dream” and “The Gift.”  (Richard Drew / Associated Press)

Claim to fame: “A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila”
Point of meltdown: She managed to keep her name in the news with her spacey tweets and racy romances, but America saw Tila’s life spin out in early 2010 when her fiancee, Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson, died of diabetes complications. Months later, Tila hit a low with her own Vivid sex tape called “Tila Tequila Uncorked.”  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Claim to fame: “Hogan Knows Best”
Point of meltdown: The youngest of the Hogan bunch had the need for speed and after a series of traffic violations landed in hot water. In August 2007 the teen and his friends were allegedly racing to a Florida steakhouse for dinner when his Toyota Supra fishtailed and crashed. Hogan was charged with a felony for reckless driving and operating a vehicle under the influence. He served five months of his eight-month sentence. His passenger, John Graziano, wasn’t so lucky. The young Marine could require medical care for the rest of his life.  (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)