The Real World: San Diego (2004)

**The Real World: San Diego** (2004) is the 14th season of "The Real World." It aired from January 6, 2004 to June 29, 2004.

It is the fourth season of the series to be filmed in the Pacific States region of the United States, specifically in California after "The Real World: San Francisco."

The season featured a total of eight cast members over the course of the season, as one cast member was replaced after she voluntarily left the show. This was the first of two seasons to be filmed in San Diego, California.

In 2011, the show made a return in the twenty-sixth season "The Real World: San Diego (2011)"

## Assignment

The San Diego cast worked in San Diego Bay as crew members for Next Level Sailing on a boat named Stars & Stripes, which carried visitors daily.

Before beginning their regular duties as tour guides, which included preparing yachts for excursions, piloting them in San Diego Bay, and providing maintenance, the cast had to undergo a course in sailing, and navigating the vessels.

This created a problem for Frankie Abernathy, who has a phobia of large metal objects (such as boats) and is initially frightened by the sight of the harbor.

## Residence

The cast's residence was a custom-designed, two-story house at 4922 North Harbor Drive in San Diego.

The house (formerly a Blue Crab Seafood restaurant and a marine supply company) sits on the edge of the southeast end of Driscoll's Wharf, overlooking America's Cup Harbor in Point Loma.

MTV.com gives its size as 5,000 square feet (460 m2) [even though realworldhouses.com gives it as 10,328 square feet (959.5 m2)].

During the filming of the series, the property included a sand volleyball court and basketball court.

## Cast Members

* Frankie Abernathy
* Randy Barry
* Jamie Chung
* Charlie Dordevich
* Cameran Eubanks
* Brad Fiorenza
* Robin Hibbard
* Jacquese Smith

## List of Episodes

1. Hello, San Diego! (Season Premiere)
2. Rockin' the Relationship
3. The "N" Word
4. Boom Bazooka Joe!
5. Pass or Fail
6. San Diego Slammer
7. Free at Last!
8. Insult to Injury
9. Crossing the Line
10. Excuses, Excuses
11. House of Fun
12. Fakin' the Funk
13. Dentally Challenged
14. The Snake vs. The Mouse
15. Emotional Distress
16. Don't Hate the Player...
17. Happy at Last
18. Truth or... Dare!
19. Welcome to Paradise
20. Who Are You?
21. The End is Near
22. Goodbye Juliet
23. And the Winner Is...
24. Overboard
25. No Bonus For You
26. Farewell San Diego (Season Finale)

## Rape Allegation

A 22-year-old woman claimed she was raped in the Real World house sometime during the night of November 14, 2003 by an acquaintance of Real World cast member Randy Barry, identified in local reports as "Justin", who was staying at the house as a guest.

The woman claimed the man bought her a drink at a downtown San Diego nightspot and that she blacked out after drinking it.

Cast member Jamie Chung found the young woman was found lying naked on the bathroom floor of the Real World house as Justin emerged, saying, "I just hit that." That person then dressed the woman and moved her to the living room couch, where Jamie (upon arriving home on the morning of November 15, 2003) found her.

Jamie then helped that other person move the woman to the downstairs guest bedroom. She and the camera crew woke the woman at 10:30 a.m. while cameras were rolling. Jamie told the woman that she may have been sexually assaulted in the bathroom during the night, but the woman (according to Jamie) appeared disoriented and had difficulty speaking.

With the woman's help, Jamie contacted a male friend of hers and arranged for her transportation home. Feeling pain in her genital region, the woman reported the incident to police on November 16, 2003 and a subsequent medical examination revealed abrasions to both her vagina and anus.

According to police, the woman believes her assailant drugged her, brought her back to the Real World house and then while she was unconscious, raped her in the bathroom (since that is the only place in the house where the show's cameras are off-limits).

Another cast member told police that he had seen the woman barely able to stand up in the bathroom, mumbling incoherently and looking confused, according to the search warrant.[20]

The police sexual assault unit began investigating the next day, November 17, 2003, but the Real World cast and crew had left on the cast's group trip to Mexico, and all film from November 14 and 15 had been shipped from the house to the production headquarters in Los Angeles.

Kevin Lee (the on-site producer of show) told police he had not viewed the footage but that, after talking to the cast, believed the woman might have been raped, and confirmed that Justin was resident in the house at the time of the alleged assault. Why this did not motivate him to look at the film or to use the on-site film-editing computer to review the incident is unknown.

Lee agreed to supply the police with the consent forms and photo ID cards that listed who was in the house at the time of the incident, and gave them a tour of the house, allowing them to search the bathroom for evidence.

At the end of the tour, however, Lee received a phone call from Pam Naughton, an attorney representing Bunim-Murray Productions, which produces the show. Naughton refused to permit the police to search the bedrooms and stated that the producers would not turn over any documents or film until she personally reviewed them.

The police then obtained a search warrant on November 18, 2003 and raided the house, confiscating the film-editing computer, the cast's e-mail computer, bedding, towels, videotapes & other possible items of evidence.

After examining hours of footage taped for the show and seizing evidence at the scene, police made no arrests, and the San Diego County District Attorney's office concluded there was not enough evidence to warrant any charges.

Nearly a month of footage from the season ended up on the cutting room floor due to the allegation. While Charlie Dordevich only appears in three episodes, he lived in the house almost as long as Frankie (who appeared in the first 23 episodes).

TV Guide critic J. Max Robins opined, "*The sexual-assault charge is the most tragic event in a long list of disturbing incidents that have plagued The Real World since it debuted 12 years ago.*"

## After Filming

Six months after the cast left the Real World house, all eight of them appeared to discuss their experiences both during and since their time on the show "2 Punk Rock 4 This: The Real World San Diego Reunion" which premiered on July 9, 2004 and hosted by Vanessa Minnillo.

### The Death of Frankie Abernathy

Frankie Abernathy (who suffered from cystic fibrosis) died on June 9, 2007 at the age of 25.