Michigan’s reality TV stars: Where are they now?
From the “Real World” to “Real Housewives,” here are 10 reality stars from Michigan and what they’re up to now.
As a lifelong Michigander, I love learning about famous figures from Michigan. While I will probably never get close to any of the famous people who own mansions in Michigan, I can still learn about them and marvel at how I kinda sorta know someone famous because we happen to be from the same state.
Along with more well-known famous figures from Michigan like Tim Allen and Jeff Daniels, several more recent Michigan stars got their start in reality TV. For instance, recognizable figures from MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” or the still-running popular show “Mathis Court” are all Michigan-born and bred. In this list of 10 renowned reality TV stars from the Mitten, learn how each one found fame on reality TV and what they are up to now.
1. Greg Mathis
He’s not Judge Judy, but Judge Greg Mathis was the star of the popular shows “Judge Mathis” and the subsequent “Mathis Court” that started in 2023. The show centers on Judge Mathis hearing cases from small claims courts and is infused with his particular blend of biting wit. It’s still popular and was renewed up until 2027, so you can still catch it streaming on Peacock.
Mathis was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1960 and went on to become Michigan’s youngest elected judge. Mathis is Michigan-born and bred, too, having attended Eastern Michigan University for his undergraduate degree and University of Detroit Law School for his J.D. He stuck around the Mitten to marry his high school sweetheart and serve in many capacities, from Reverend Jackson’s campaign to a member of the board for local preschools.
Today, Mathis hosts The Mathis Verdict podcast, a celebrity crime show hosted with his son, Amir, that features discussions and breakdowns of high-profile and popular cases, as well as guest call-ins for legal questions. He is active on his Instagram page, @judgegregmathis, where he describes himself as a “Detroiter” and shares his observations on family, politics, and culture.
2. Nicole Franzel-Arroyo
Now 33, Nicole Franzel started her career as an ER nurse and then found herself in the spotlight on several seasons of the reality TV show “Big Brother.” The Ubly, Michigan native first appeared on the show in 2014 on “Big Brother 16,” went on to win the show in 2016, placed third on the 22nd season in 2020, and then, finally, won in 2023 during the “Big Brother Reinder Games” season.
You could say that aside from winning the show in 2023, she was also a clear winner because she found love on “Big Brother. The Michigander married Victor Arroyo, who appeared on season 18 of the show. The couple has a 4-year-old daughter, Arrow, and is currently expecting boy-girl twins.
Franzel has returned to her career as a nurse in her hometown of Ubly, working as a school nurse and part-time influencer. She is active on Instagram as @coconuts_; a podcast called “Mama Spice,” which she does with her mom; and her Substack, Midwest Mama, which has over 3,000 subscribers. She shares snippets of her life running Arrow’s Acres Farm Rescue, taking care of animals, and being a mom. Franzel also runs Franny & The Fox, an online boutique for moms and babies.
3. Kenya Moore
Let’s hear it for Miss Michigan and Miss USA 1993, Kenya Moore! Moore has a long list of accolades and accomplishments, but her reality claim to fame was appearing in “Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta” from 2012 to 2025. Moore was born in Detroit, Michigan, and says she was raised by her grandmother after being abandoned by her mother (who was a teenager when she gave birth). She also attended high school and college in Michigan.
After a successful career in modeling and pageantry (she was the second African American woman to win Miss USA), Moore moved into the film world, gaining experience as an actress, producer, writer, and director. She’s also a businesswoman and founded and runs both Kenya Moore Haircare and Kenya Moore Hair Spa in Atlanta, a head spa and hair salon that offers services such as extensions and braids. Today, she also hosts the weekly YouTube show “Life Twirls On,” where she dishes on all things beauty, reality TV, pop culture, and fashion. Moore makes her home in Atlanta these days, where she runs her businesses.
4. Rupert Boneham
“Survivor” contestant Rupert Boneham appeared on the show in 2003 and in many later seasons, making him, arguably, a super survivor. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, and after appearing on the show, he focused on nonprofit work for at-risk youth, specifically those who have aged out of the foster system.
While no longer in Michigan, he founded the nonprofit Rupert’s Kids, Inc. in Indiana, which offers job training and placement, assists with housing, and provides education and assistance as needed. You can keep up with Rubert or sign up for one of his live events through the nonprofit’s Instagram, @rubertskids.
5. Amy Roloff
Actress and producer of “Little People, Big World, ” Amy Roloff is a well-known reality TV star who also happens to be from Michigan. According to MLive, she grew up in Wayne County and attended Central Michigan University.
After her success on the reality show, Roloff branched off into more entrepreneurial pursuits, founding Amy Roloff Enterprises and focusing on speaking, running a now-defunct store, and publishing her “Eat, Love, Gather” cookbook series.
Roloff and her family have also gone back to their rural roots by expanding Roloff Farms in Oregon, where they host seasonal events like a pumpkin patch and festival, private tours, and even overnight farm experiences. Amy still visits her hometown and shared pictures and memories of visiting family during the holidays on her Instagram account (@amyjroloff) last year.
6. Taylor Dickens Hale
Taylor Dickens Hale, who won Season 24 of “Big Brother,” made history as the show’s first African-American winner. Hale was born in Detroit, Mich., and attended the private Detroit Country Day School from kindergarten through high school graduation. She then went to college at Michigan State University.
Like Kenya Moore, Hale was also Miss Michigan, although she didn’t go on to win at the national competition level. She did, however, win “Miss Congeniality” at the Miss USA pageant, which I am just now realizing is a real title and was not just made up for the movie.
Today, Hale still resides in Michigan, making her home in West Bloomfield and working as a lifestyle influencer. You can find her at @taylorhale. She also recently made headlines for her allegations that the former Miss USA’s vice president, Max Sebrechts, sexually harassed her when she was a contestant on the show.
7. Cory Wharton
Grand Rapids, Mich., native Cory Wharton is a former contestant on “Real World: Ex-Plosion” Season 29. He went on to do more behind the camera, becoming an actor and producer, known for films such as “Black Spartans” and “The Devil’s Ride.”
According to his Instagram, @corywharton_ig, Wharton is now focused on being a “girl dad,” especially to his youngest daughter, Maya, who was born with a congenital heart defect that has required several open-heart surgeries to correct. Wharton and his family live in LA, but visit Michigan every summer.
8. Catelynn Baltierra
Catelynn Baltierra, also known as Catelyn Lowell, was a famous figure on MTV’s reality show “16 and Pregnant” and its spin-off, “Teen Mom.” Catelynn was born and raised in Port Huron and became pregnant there when she appeared on the show.
Catelynn and her boyfriend, Tyler, gave their first child up for adoption, but went on to marry and have three more children together. The couple had a large home in Michigan that later went to foreclosure and was last reported to be in the process of closing with a buyer. The couple still lives in Michigan and posts about giving back to the local community. They also run a podcast together.
Catelynn and Tyler’s oldest biological daughter, Carly, was adopted by a family who they say has blocked access to her, but the couple claims to continue to try to have a relationship with her.
9. The Putman Family
The Putmans, a multi-generational family living in a very large home in Caseville, Michigan, became famous for appearing on the TLC reality show “Meet the Putmans.” Sadly, however, the family also made news more recently after a drunk driver killed three members of the family in September of 2025.
The crash killed Putman patriarch William and his wife, as well as their daughter-in-law. The couple’s adult son, Blake, was injured, along with four grandchildren. According to a November post on the Putman family’s Instagram account, several of the grandchildren were still in the hospital receiving high-level care.
10. Kristina Smith
Kristina Smith and her husband, Brandon, appeared on a Michigan reality show called “Love and Marriage: Detroit.” The show featured the couple on two consecutive seasons, following them as they balanced their lives as an influencer and manager of an artist management company (respectively), parents, and Detroit residents.
The pair’s marital struggles were a main point of the show, and they did go on to get a divorce, although Smith has shared on her Instagram that the split is not a “bitter” one. Now single, the mom of two splits her time between Detroit and Buffalo.
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