The 22 greatest reality TV villains of all time

Contrary to what some may believe, there is a distinct talent to being a reality star. The appeal of reality TV is that you’re watching, at least in theory, real people go about their situation. These aren’t actors—any of us could potentially be on a reality show. But, through continued exposure (and a healthy dose of producing and editing) certain story tropes emerge, and people begin to fall into the categories of heroes and villains.

Offering your life up and being willing to become a villain is a skill apart from being on reality TV. While the people we think of as reality antagonists may be noted for their egos or their aggression or their general disconnect from reality, there has to be some humility, too. At best, these stars aren’t playing characters so much as caricatured versions of themselves. They have given their names over to villainy, more than any fictional character ever could. Here, in alphabetical order, we look at some of the best who have ever done just that.

Abby Lee Miller (Dance Moms)

Cruella de Vil, Ursula the Sea Witch, Miss Hannigan—some of pop culture’s finest villains are the ones whose chosen targets are children. Add Abby Lee Miller to the bad bunch: the demanding choreographer made many a tiny dancer cry, as well as their mothers, with her intensely militant teaching style during eight seasons of the Lifetime reality series . “Everyone’s replaceable!” she was known to bark at single-digit-aged students like Maddie Ziegler and Chloe Lukasiak, hot-headed outbursts that eventually landed Miller a lawsuit for assault and emotional distress from a young former pupil. That case was dismissed, but it wouldn’t be the dance instructor’s last run-in with the law: she went to jail for tax evasion in 2017. [Christina Izzo]