Over the years, reality TV has had a long list of heroes and villains. While it's usually easy to spot the villain in the cast, some groups have multiple villainous members, making it more challenging to decipher the actual "bad guy" of the series.
The main reason a cast member becomes a villain is due to the actions they take on the show, although there are other ways someone becomes a villain. A cast member could receive the villain edit, where producers make someone out to be the bad guy based on the reactions they get from their castmates. Other times, a cast member will voluntarily declare themselves the villain to achieve their desired goal. However, sometimes, the villain is not necessarily the true villain at all.
Omarosa (The Apprentice)
Omarosa was born to be a reality TV villain. She appeared on The Apprentice, and her cutthroat personality caught the eye of host Donald Trump. Omarosa then appeared on various other shows, such as Celebrity Big Brother, as the quintessential villain.
Although she is still considered a villain due to her brutal honesty and ability to break others down, Omarosa is much more accepted today than in the past. In the time of The Real Housewives and shade being essential for great reality TV, Omarosa easily becomes a fan favorite no matter what show she appears on. While many did not agree with her villainous acts early in her career, Omarosa has proven that her character is exactly what reality TV needs.
Heidi Montag (The Hills)
Heidi was not immediately viewed as a villain by fans of The Hills. She came into the villain role once her relationship with Spencer blossomed. She was considered a bad friend to LC, and while she did have villainous moments on the show, Heidi ultimately only wanted her love life to be respected by her best friend.
Heidi knew that LC saw herself as the star of the show, and when she came to terms with the end of their friendship, fans turned against Heidi and saw her picking Spencer as a betrayal. Although, some fans share the unpopular opinion about The Hills that LC wasn't a good friend to Heidi. While both sides can be justified, LC should have stayed by Heidi's side and accepted her relationship with Spencer, which a true friend would do.
Dr. Will Kirby (Big Brother)
Dr. Will is still arguably the best player to ever appear on Big Brother. He played the perfect villain role in season 2 by creating an alliance that would intimidate others to keep the drama going. His strategy was to make himself the most hated person in the house so that others would feel safe taking him to the end. It worked, and Will made the final two without winning a single competition.
Dr. Will played the perfect villain. He was hated by fellow contestants and loved by the fans. His strategy paid off when he explained his manipulation to the jurors and won the $500,000 grand prize, proving that he was smarter than people believed.
Lala Kent (Vanderpump Rules)
Lala was an easy target to be a villain on Vanderpump Rules. She was the new girl at SUR, hid her relationship from the world, and was forced to answer to the other girls about rumors that painted her in a negative light. Lala was called a homewrecker and many other names by the OG women.
Eventually, Lala gained some support and became a mainstay on the show. Looking back, Lala wasn't always right, but she was right about a lot. Lala called out the other girls for their groupthink mentality and bullying behavior, all of which is blatantly obvious when watching the series back. Thankfully, Lala found her spot within the group and now has a great relationship with most of the girls.
Spencer Pratt (The Hills)
Spencer was the stereotypical villain on The Hills. He was accused of breaking up LC and Heidi's friendship after he and Heidi became a couple and was easily hated by fans. Since the show ended, Spencer has come forward on TikTok, detailing how he was cast into the role of the villain and was fed fake storylines that made him look bad.
When watching the show back today, it's easy to believe that Spencer was not a good person. However, with the new information now available, Spencer can just as easily be seen as a great actor who played the role of the "bad guy" very well. Essentially, Spencer solely wanted to be with Heidi, and producers manipulated the drama that followed to give the show a villain, which also helped LC seem justified for her hatred of him and the end of her friendship with Heidi.
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino (Jersey Shore)
Mike made many questionable decisions during the run of Jersey Shore. He continuously caused drama between Ron and Sam, lied to everyone, and struggled with substance abuse and financial hardship issues. Mike was an easy villain as the other cast members were likable and fun to watch.
Mike may have been the villain, but he wasn't always wrong. He knew early on that Ron and Sam were toxic together, and viewers saw it first hand in practically every season. Although he has gone through a lot, including time in prison, Mike is now considered one of the most likable Jersey Shore cast members.
Jax Taylor (Vanderpump Rules)
Jax was never the most honest person on Vanderpump Rules. Jax was quickly the villain as he proved he was a pathological liar, a cheater, and just overall an unpleasant person. Jax's history created a view of him that was practically impossible to overcome, making it easy to paint him as the villain. Even when Jax was being honest, he was considered a liar, and it was easy for his fellow castmates to determine that he was not to be trusted.
While there is still no actual proof that most of Jax's accusations against others are accurate, there are instances of the truth coming to light. Jax admitted to sleeping with Kristen, and although Kristen lied, she eventually confessed. It was easy for the cast to deem Jax as the liar, and most of them did, but once Kristen confirmed the truth, Jax was redeemed. Unfortunately, this redemption did little to nothing for his reputation, as it seems like he will always be the boy who cried wolf.
Kristin Cavallari (Laguna Beach)
Kristin was the quintessential villain of Laguna Beach. She was the girl getting between LC and her best friend/crush, causing drama within the group, and was considered jealous of LC. Kristin's upfront personality made her a perfect villain stereotype, and she played the role well.
Since the series has ended and the cast has come out to tell secrets about the show, Kristin has explained that she was practically forced into the villain role (per BuzzFeed). While she has admitted to not liking LC, she does regret allowing producers to put her in the position of the jealous mean girl. With all that has come out about the series, it's no surprise that the real villain was LC - just ask Heidi.
Angelina Pivarnick (Jersey Shore)
Angelina came into Jersey Shore as a judgemental buzzkill. She was considered a prude, and her disrespectful nature towards her roommates didn't help her situation. Angelina packed her things in the black trash bags they came in and left the house fairly quickly. She returned for season 2 but left once again, this time after a physical altercation with Snooki in a Jersey Shore episode that is considered Angelina's best. Angelina was the most hated by her roommates and despised by fans.
Since leaving the series, Angelina stayed on the list of most hated reality TV stars, mainly due to her constant hateful comments about fan favorites Jenni and Snooki. Angelina was eventually invited back for the reboot series, becoming much more tolerable. When watching back the original series, fans can understand why Angelina acted the way she did. While she did seem prudish, she wasn't always wrong based on how wild the original series was.
Brandi Glanville (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Brandi came into The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as a friend and immediately made an impact. In what is considered one of the best storylines of RHOBH, Brandi fought with Kim and Kyle at game night and solidified her importance on the show. She eventually began to call out the other women on their lies and say things that the other uppity women of Beverly Hills found shocking and inappropriate.
While Brandi was easily the target to blame for drama, fans can watch back and see that Brandi was the most real of them all. Not only was she open and honest about her life, but she was also always prepared to talk about situations that fans desperately wanted to hear and the other women desperately wanted to keep quiet. While she was not a housewife, she was real, which many producers and other cast members stated in the tell-all book Not All Diamonds And Rose.