Joseph Eugene Kovar (July 24, 1983 – August 17, 2012) was an American model and

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

star and

bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses o ...

who first appeared in the twentieth season of

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's ''

The Real World Real World or The Real World may also refer to: * Real life, a phrase to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds Television * ''The Real World'' (TV series), 1992–2017 * "The Real World" (''Stargate Atla ...

'', '' The Real World: Hollywood'', in 2008. In 2010, Kovar appeared as a patient on the

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

reality show, ''

Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'', later called simply ''Rehab with Dr. Drew'', is a reality television show that aired on the cable network VH1 in which many of the episodes chronicle a group of well-known people as they are treated for alco ...

'', for treatment of addictions to

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

, ecstasy,

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...

s, and

steroids A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and a ...

Early life

Kovar was a native of

Evergreen Park, Illinois Evergreen Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, the population was 19,943. History As early as 1828, a German farming family had settled in the area of what is now Evergreen Park. In the succeeding decades, other Ge ...

, where he continued to reside after appearing on ''The Real World: Hollywood'' and other shows. He battled addiction to both drugs and alcohol before appearing in television.

Career

Kovar, a former

personal trainer A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, p ...

, was discovered at age 24 by a

talent scout In professional sports, scouts are experienced talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout ...

on a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

street. In 2008, Kovar was cast in the twentieth season of the long-running MTV series, ''

''. Kovar believed he was cast for '' The Real World: Hollywood'' due to his personality and openness about past partying and drug use. In a 2009 interview with the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'', Kovar elaborated, "We kind of have an 'I don't give a leep attitude. What you see is what you get...People want edgy. People want attitude. People want in-your-face, and that's what Chicagoans bring. The attitude we have is what's going to draw the ratings." Kovar became increasingly addicted to drugs and alcohol while filming ''The Real World''. Due to erratic behavior and substance abuse, he was asked to leave the show to pursue treatment. Kovar next appeared in the third season of ''

'', which premiered in November 2009. Other cast members for the season included

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding ...

, Mackenzie Phillips, and

Heidi Fleiss Heidi Lynne Fleiss (born December 30, 1965) is an American former madam. She ran an upscale prostitution ring based in Los Angeles and is often referred to as the " Hollywood Madam". Fleiss has also worked as a columnist and was a television per ...

. On the show, he was treated for addictions to

, ecstasy,

, and

. In an on-camera discussion about his addiction to cocaine with Dr.

Drew Pinsky David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958), commonly known as Dr. Drew, is an American media personality, internist, and addiction medicine specialist. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show ''Loveline'' from the show's inceptio ...

, the show's host and

addiction medicine Addiction medicine is a medical subspecialty that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, evaluation, treatment, and recovery of persons with addiction, of those with substance-related and addictive disorders, and of people who show unhealthy us ...

specialist, at the end of the season Kovar stated, "I want this, but at the same time, I'm not going to make any false...promises...I'm not going to tell you. 'I'm going to be sober', 'cause I don't know."

Death

Kovar died of an opiate intoxication on August 17, 2012, at the age of 29. He was discovered with blood coming out of his nose and ears at an apartment building in the 9800 block of South Sayre Avenue in Chicago Ridge,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. Kovar was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 9 a.m. An initial

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

proved inconclusive. Kovar's family stated there were no signs of

or other

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

s found in his system, and believed he had been sober for approximately six months while he pursued acting, but a later autopsy indicated that Kovar succumbed to "opiate intoxication".Rogers, Christopher (November 12, 2012)
"‘Real World’ Star Joey Kovar’s Cause Of Death Revealed"
Hollywood Life. He became the third former ''Real World'' cast member to die, 18 years following the death of

Pedro Zamora Pedro Pablo Zamora (born Pedro Pablo Zamora y Díaz, February 29, 1972 – November 11, 1994) was a Cuban-American AIDS educator and television personality.''Pedro Zamora'', WPBT Channel 2-New Florida, November 11–17, 2004, Oscar Lopez Produce ...

of ''Real World: San Francisco'' and five years following the death of

Frankie Abernathy Frankie Jo Abernathy (December 21, 1981 – June 9, 2007) was an American purse designer and reality television personality, known for her time as a cast member on MTV's '' The Real World: San Diego'' which was filmed in late 2003 and aired from ...

of ''Real World: San Diego''. Kovar was one of three cast members from Season 3 of ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'' to die, including Mike Starr and

Mindy McCready Malinda Gayle McCready (November 30, 1975 – February 17, 2013) was an American country music singer. Active from 1995 until her death in 2013, she recorded a total of five studio albums. Her debut album, 1996's '' Ten Thousand Angels'', w ...

, and is among seven cast members overall from ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'' who have died, a list that further includes

Chyna Chyna (born Joan Marie Laurer; December 27, 1969 – April 17, 2016) was an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder and television personality. She first rose to prominence in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1997, where sh ...

who appears in season 1,

Rodney King Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was an African American man who was a victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers during his arrest after a pursuit for driving whi ...

who was featured in season 2,

Jeff Conaway Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway (October 5, 1950 – May 27, 2011) was an American actor. He portrayed Kenickie in the film '' Grease'' and had roles in two television series: struggling actor Bobby Wheeler in ''Taxi'' and security offic ...

who appeared in seasons 1 and 2, and Jason Davis who appeared in season 4.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kovar, Joey 1983 births 2012 deaths Drug-related deaths in Illinois The Real World (TV series) cast members People from Evergreen Park, Illinois