By Wonderwall.com Editors
10:36am PDT, Mar 25, 2018
Oh, the aughts. It was the era of Juicy tracksuits, trucker hats and pervasive reality TV. Although some people already knew Paris Hilton from her hard-partying socialite days, it was "The Simple Life" (and her sex tape, "1 Night in Paris," which suspiciously surfaced three weeks before the show premiered) that catapulted her to superstardom. Along for the ride was her then-BFF, a then-unknown Nicole Richie. But are they still tight today? Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at reality stars of the 2000s and what they're up to today.
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Although Paris Hilton isn't nearly as ubiquitous as she was in the 2000s, she's still very busy and still making ludicrous amounts of money, just for being Paris Hilton. Since "The Simple Life" ended, she's starred on a handful of reality shows, such as "The World According To Paris" and "Paris Hilton's My New BFF" — as well as its British and Dubaian spinoffs. (Really, what else would you expect from the woman who "started" reality TV?) In addition, Paris sings and DJs, has shoe, clothing and fragrance lines, and has appeared in a number of movies. But being ridiculously busy hasn't kept Paris out trouble. She's been arrested a number of times. She's dated a revolving door of men. But by 2017, she'd found real love: After a whirlwind relationship, "Leftovers" actor Chris Zylka popped the question over the holidays in 2017. The couple are already planning their wedding and can't wait to get hitched.
Nicole Richie is now known for far more than once being Paris Hilton's BFF. She's been a mainstay on television, appearing on shows like "Fashion Star," "Empire" and the 2014-2015 reality series "Candidly Nicole" as well as, most recently, "Great News." She's also released books and the clothing line House of Harlow 1960, and has become a fashion icon, notably for ushering in boho style in 2008. She's also got a super-cute crew of celeb gal pals (such as sister-in-law Cameron Diaz). Nicole is married to Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden, with whom she has two kids, daughter Harlow and son Sparrow.
Even Hulk Hogan had a reality show! "Hogan Knows Best" centered on the wrestler's family life, including his aspiring-singer daughter, Brooke Hogan. But what happened to Brooke after the cameras stopped rolling?
Brooke Hogan has continued to plug away at that music career. She released two pop albums and is currently trying her hand at country music. She's also done a little acting, most recently in a small flick called "L.A. Slasher." Brooke followed in the footsteps of her father, Hulk Hogan, when she spent a year with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Brooke was briefly engaged to Dallas Cowboys player Phil Costa, but the couple called things off before they made it to the altar. Hey, at least she's not rocking her grills anymore…
During the first season of "American Idol" in 2002, it all came down to finalists Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini. But who took home the title?
Of course, it was Kelly Clarkson who became the first "American Idol" winner. After breaking Billboard records with her debut single, "A Moment Like This," she went on to become the show's second best selling "American Idol" alum. (Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood beat her out for the No. 1 spot there). She's released eight albums (most recently 2017's "Meaning of Life") and has won three Grammys. In 2013, she married her manager's son, Brandon Blackstock. (He's also Reba McEntire's former stepson.) Kelly and Brandon have two kids together: daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander.
Justin Guarini hasn't gone on to have the same level of success as Kelly Clarkson. He released two albums after "American Idol" and hosted award show coverage for TV Guide Network. In 2010, he made his Broadway debut in "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" and has since regularly appeared in a number of other productions (he also performed at the 2017 Tony Awards). Justin has two sons with wife Reina: William and Asher. In 2013, he shocked fans when he posted an essay on his website in which he stated, "I have spent days skipping meals in order to make sure I have enough. To make sure my children, and my wife have enough." (He later backtracked and said he's "nowhere near poverty.") Perhaps his latest recognizable gig, playing Lil' Sweet in Diet Dr. Pepper commercials, has padded his wallet a bit.
Although Trista Rehn didn't get the final rose from Alex Michel on the first season of "The Bachelor," she went on to become the first star of "The Bachelorette."
Trista Rehn found love on "The Bachelorette" with contestant Ryan Sutter and the couple married in 2003. The Sutters live in Colorado and have two kids, son Maxwell and daughter Blakesley. Trista has gone on to appear on a number of other reality shows, including "Dancing With the Stars" and "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars." She and Ryan also often pop up at Bachelor Nation events, like the January 2016 wedding of Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, who met on "Bachelor in Paradise."
Bill Rancic was the first contestant on "The Apprentice" to hear the words "You're hired."
Bill Rancic didn't find love in the boardroom, but his gig on "The Apprentice" did lead him to his wife, Giuliana Rancic, who fell for him after interviewing him for E! News. The couple married in 2007 and co-starred on a reality series together, "Giuliana and Bill." Bill and Giuliana faced trouble conceiving, but in 2012, they finally welcomed son Duke via surrogate. Bill now owns and operates several successful restaurants in Chicago and Washington D.C. with Giuliana under their RPM Italian and RPM Steak brands.
Adrianne Curry (in blue) ended up on top after competing on "America's Next Top Model," making her the series' first winner.
Adrianne Curry went on to appear on "The Surreal Life," where she met "The Brady Bunch" star Christopher Knight. Their love affair was chronicled on the reality show "My Fair Brady." They married in 2008 but divorced four years later. Adrianne doesn't model much these days, but she creates gaming-related content with her new fiance, Matthew "Ducksauce" Rhode. Matthew proposed in 2017.
This is the true story (true story!) of Mike Mizanin (far right), who got his start as a cast member on "The Real World: Back to New York" and later competed on "Real World/Road Rules Challenge."
These days, Mike Mizanin is better known as WWE wrestler The Miz, whose signature moves are the figure-four leglock and skull-crushing finale. He got his start in professional wrestling in 2003 and later joined the WWE after competing on the reality series "Tough Enough." He's won a slew of titles, including WWE Champion, International Champion and WWE Tag Team Champion. In 2014, he married two-time Divas Champion Maryse Ouellet. The couple will have their own reality show — which was announced in 2018 — called "Miz and Mrs." As of early 2018, the couple were awaiting the birth of their first child together.
Christian Siriano showed off his fierce fashion sense during Season 4 of "Project Runway," becoming the fashion competition's youngest winner.
Christian Siriano debuted his fashion line at New York Fashion Week in September 2008. Since then, he has dressed stars like Rihanna, Maria Menounos, Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert, Sarah Hyland and many,many more. He's also created lines for Puma, Payless, VS Makeup and HSN. In 2016, Christian married his longtime boyfriend, musician Brad Walsh.
Jamie Chung (center) was a work-hard, play-hard college girl when she starred on "The Real World: San Diego."
Jamie Chung didn't spend any time using her economics degree from the University of California, Riverside. After competing on "Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno II," she began to pursue a career in acting. Jamie has starred in movies like "The Hangover Part II" and "Grown Ups" and appeared as Mulan on "Once Upon a Time." She also voiced GoGo in "Big Hero 6" and reprised the role for the movie's TV series spin-off. On Halloween 2015, Jamie scored a real treat when she tied the knot with actor Bryan Greenberg.
