“Challenge” star Tyler Duckworth has died at 44.
The reality star was found dead Tuesday in North Dakota, according to officials cited by The US Sun, which first reported the news Thursday. Duckworth, 44, was discovered unresponsive in his bathroom. The case is classified as an unattended death, meaning no witnesses were present at the scene.
Duckworth had recently undergone surgery, an insider told the outlet, though it remains unclear whether that procedure contributed to his death.
His castmates began mourning him publicly within hours of the news breaking. Paulie Calafiore, 35, posted group photos with Duckworth on Instagram, reflecting on their recent time together. “Life is crazy. RIP Mighty Duckworth! You were so vibrant 2 weeks ago, it’s so wild to imagine your vibrant energy no longer here. Sending prayers and love to your family and friends. The Challenge fam lost a legend ❤️.”
Tina Barta, 43, shared a video of herself with Duckworth on Instagram alongside an emotional tribute. “It’s hard to find the right words when someone who was part of such a meaningful chapter of your life is suddenly gone,” she wrote. “We shared an experience that very few people will ever fully understand, and somewhere along the way, it became more than a show or an adventure. It became friendship. It became history. It became family.”
Barta continued, “Tyler has a way of bringing his own light, humor, and heart into the lives of the people around him. And while life has a way of sending us down different roads, there are certain people and certain memories that time simply cannot erase.”
She concluded her post, “Tyler, thank you for being part of my story. I’m grateful our paths crossed in this crazy life and that I get to carry those memories with me. Rest peacefully, my darling friend. 🕊️.”
Duckworth’s final Instagram post came earlier this month from The Challenge Mania event in Minneapolis. The gathering drew fellow MTV veterans including Barta, Calafiore, Rachel Robinson, Mark Long, and Brad Fiorenza. “So proud to represent my hometown of Minneapolis along with these other challenge legends,” Duckworth wrote at the time. “The fans are what keep us coming out! Hearing your stories of courage, inspiration & joy that you’ve got being a fan of the franchise is humbling each and every time.”
In the viral moment that launched his television career, Duckworth debuted on MTV’s “The Real World: Key West” in 2006, joining a cast that included future Challenge mainstays Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Paula Meronek, and Janelle Casanave. He transitioned to “The Challenge” that same year, competing across six seasons and emerging as a two-time champion. His first victory came in 2010’s “Cutthroat” season alongside teammates Brad Fiorenza, Dunbar Merrill, and Tori Hall. He followed that with a win on 2011’s “Rivals,” paired with Devenanzio. Despite his back-to-back championships, Duckworth revealed in a 2021 Entertainment Weekly interview that he never received another call from producers after “Rivals,” a development he described as heartbreaking. He eventually returned a decade later for “The Challenge: All Stars 2,” which premiered on Paramount+ in November 2021.
Duckworth had spoken openly about his journey as an openly gay athlete, including a 2006 interview with Windy City Times in which he discussed coming out after a 1999 accident left him with a broken back, wrist, and heel. “When you lose your ability to run or walk, let alone bathe yourself, you really look at the importance of things and put things in perspective,” he said at the time. “That’s when I realized I didn’t want to keep everything bottled up. Life is too short.”
Paramount had not publicly responded to requests for comment as of Thursday evening.