The Real World: New Orleans premiered in 2000, and after 24 years, it’s time to take a look at where the cast members are now. In 2022, they all came back for another season when they were featured on The Real World: Homecoming, which can be streamed on Paramount+. Unlike other seasons of the spin-off, all seven of the original housemates returned to New Orleans to discuss what happened on and after the show. Several of the cast members have interacted on MTV’s The Challenge, and there was unresolved tension among the cast upon their reconnection.
A lot happened to the cast between their stints on The Challenge and The Real World. Some of the housemates have moved on to have lives outside the public eye with successful careers, married life, and kids, while others have remained in the spotlight and continue to thrive in the world of television. All the housemates seemed to leave New Orleans the second time around with their relationships with one another in better places, with certain people taking accountability for their actions.
As part of one of the best seasons of The Real World, Jamie Murray was the confident rich kid from Chicago who also proved to be personable and caring. While he was more laid-back than the rest of his castmates, Jamie connected with everyone through his chill personality. Jamie was more focused on his business ventures and his friends back home than on the housemates and the show itself, except Melissa. During Paramount+‘s The Real World: Homecoming, Jamie dodged Julie, who brought up her feelings for him, and had a chill, amicable time, true to his personality.
After being in The Real World house, Jamie saw a lot of success on the MTV network. Jamie competed on Extreme Challenge and came out the victor. He then went on to compete in Battle of the Sexes, and won that competition as well. Finally, he competed in The Gauntlet 2, where he also made it out as the winner. Since his time in reality TV and competition shows Jamie kept a low profile until joining The Real World:Homecoming reunion. He is currently 46.
During his time on the show, Matt Smith attended Georgia Tech with a major in web design. He was known for his spiky hair, which never seemed to move, and his devotion to his Catholic faith. He had a wild fashion sense, sourced mainly from thrift stores, and he was one of the few house members who didn’t drink. During The Real World: Homecoming, Matt and Danny addressed their 2000-era animosity over Danny feeling like Matt didn’t treat him well because he was gay. After several talks, they were able to come to an understanding.
Since leaving the show, Matt has gotten married and has six children – four girls and two boys. According to his website, he completed his master’s degree in business at Arizona State University and runs his own digital design agency, smithHOUSE. Matt’s private Instagram account, where he has 1,059 followers, also sheds light on who he is now.
Melissa Beck née Howard came into the house as the party girl who constantly wanted attention. Her over-the-top emotions and antics rubbed her other housemates the wrong way and caused a lot of tension between her and David “Tokyo” Broom, even though the two started as friends. In The Real World: Homecoming, Melissa confronted Julie about making slanderous remarks about her after The Real World so that she would not get media opportunities. At first, Julia blamed the situation on her publicity team but ultimately took responsibility and apologized. Melissa was able to accept it in the end.
Melissa has gone on to have arguably the most successful career in the spotlight out of all the housemates. After The Real World, Melissa moved to LA to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. She competed in The Challenge: Battle of the Sexes in 2005 and became a member of the Girls Behaving Badly cast from 2002-2005. In 2020, Melissa launched a podcast with her co-host Amanda Strong called Imperfect Strangers.
Danny Roberts teased his fellow housemates with a big secret when he entered the house, to his roommates’ annoyance. Danny would later reveal himself to be the only gay member of the household. He often sparked conversations about what it means to be gay, on even the most minute level (via MTV Vault.) Danny’s relationship with his ex Paul Dill was also pioneering at the time. Paul, a U.S. Army captain, had his face blurred out on the show because of the Clinton-era “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Law.
On The Real World: Homecoming, Danny addressed his issues with Julie, which were the same as Melissa’s, since Julie kept publicity and job opportunities away from them both by badmouthing them to potential employers. He was able to let things go. Danny also got to sit down with Paul and hash out their issues, and both got closure from the experience. Danny has continued to work as an LGBTQ+ advocate. He is in a relationship, lives in Vermont, and has a daughter. After his show stint, Danny revealed that he is HIV positive, and he continues to advocate for others living with HIV and AIDS.
Kelley Limp (now Wolf) was the blonde beauty who came into TheReal World house with a confident and secure attitude. She was one of the more well-traveled members of the house and was always ready to go on to the next adventure. Limp was given the opportunity to work on public access TV on the show, and it paid off for her future career. Unlike her other housemates, Kelley hasn’t competed in The Challenge but stayed in the television world and works in marketing. She is also an author and wife to Scott Wolf from the television show, Party of Five.
Kelley left The Real World: Homecoming house early and, via social media, explained why.
The person in question who showed her a picture was Julie. Kelley is now 47 – she is a Life Coach and author of the book “FLOW.”
Julie had no problem following the rules of The Real World house, given the strict requirements set by her college, BYU, and how it would affect her college career. Julie was instantly attracted to Matt and the feeling was mutual. Her Mormonism was a hot topic of conversation in the house. She struggled with her sense of self, wondering if she wanted to continue on the path her parents set for her.
In The Real World: Homecoming, her misdeeds post-show (towards Danny and Melissa) came to a head, and she owned up to her part in the drama. Julie’s husband, Spencer, visited the house and the pair hooked up in the backyard, which made the other housemates uncomfortable. Moreover, Julie was overheard on the phone with her husband saying she was the only one making good TV. Julie also had a drunken, belligerent night where she was falling over and puking – Tokyo took care of her.
After leaving the show, Stoffer competed on Real World/Road Rules Challenge, where she was a villain. Since then, she’s appeared in music videos and was on a 2023 episode of House Hunters.
David “Tokyo” Broom was open with his roommates about his weight-loss journey and his desire to show off his body as much as possible. He had an instant connection with Melissa, but the two fought in the house over Melissa’s need for attention… and her partying. Tokyo also spoke openly about how his previous relationship changed him as a person, and how he felt about love and dating.
David, who only goes by the name Tokyo now, was also best known for singing “Come On Be My Baby Tonight” for his housemates. Tokyo competed on Battle of the Sexes and The Gauntlet, but lost both. Tokyo is still a singer and had a show where he dressed like a chef. He sang saucy recipe songs in his now-defunct internet series, “Chef Showtime.” In The Real World: Homecoming, Tokyo tried to keep the peace among his housemates and get through to Julie about her behavior.
Sources: Paramount+/YouTube, smithHOUSE, Matt Smith/Instagram, Imperfect Strangers, MTV Vault/YouTube, Kelley Wolf/Instagram, Chef Showtime/YouTube
