“Real World” Star Puck Looks Unrecognizable More Than 3 Decades After He Found Fame on MTV
- - “Real World” Star Puck Looks Unrecognizable More Than 3 Decades After He Found Fame on MTV
Nicholas RiceJanuary 26, 2026 at 3:54 AM
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J. Vespa/WireImage;puckcooks/Titkok
A throwback photo of David 'Puck' Rainey, David 'Puck' Rainey in a recent TikTok video. -
The Real World star David “Puck” Rainey looks unrecognizable more than three decades after he rose to fame on MTV
Rainey starred in The Real World: San Francisco in 1994, and he is considered to be one of the earliest TV villains
He now hosts a cooking channel on TikTok under the username @PuckCooks
David “Puck” Rainey looks unrecognizable — more than three decades after he rose to fame on MTV's The Real World.
Rainey, 57, starred in The Real World: San Francisco, which filmed from February to June 1994, when he was 25 years old. Considered to be one of the earliest TV villains, the reality television alum was known for his lack of personal hygiene, as well as his frequent clashes with fellow housemates.
In the years after The Real World: San Francisco, Rainey made other reality TV appearances — including getting married on The Challenge — became a father, held non-reality TV work positions and faced legal woes.
Most recently, Rainey launched what he describes as a "new farm-to-table cooking channel" on TikTok, under the username @PuckCooks. In his videos, Rainey makes food at home in his kitchen and shares cooking tips. (He also shares the videos on YouTube.)
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puckcooks/Titkok
David 'Puck' Rainey in a recent TikTok video.
Following his eviction from The Real World: San Francisco, Rainey still appeared in the remaining nine episodes of the show, and he later starred in 1995’s The Real World Reunion, which reunited casts from the show’s first four seasons.
In 1998, Rainey hosted Road Rules: All Stars, now considered the first season of The Challenge, and he later competed on the sixth season, then titled Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Sexes. On the show, Rainey married wife Betty Garcia, with whom he eventually welcomed three kids.
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During a 2013 interview with MTV News, Rainey revealed he had welcomed four more children with other women, and several years later, while he appeared on the Good Company with Bowling podcast, the star said he hadn't seen his children in years.
In the time after his reality television fame, Rainey took on non-entertainment industry roles, including working as a truck driver, and he also faced many legal hurdles, including charges tied to domestic violence, felony possession of ammunition, stalking and driving under the influence.
Steve Eichner/WireImage
A throwback photo of David 'Puck' Rainey.
Back in 1994, at the height of his fame, Rainey opened up to PEOPLE about his controversial persona.
“I'm not into the fluffy, sterile part of life,” he explained at the time. “I think everyone should act a little crazy.”
Speaking specifically about his The Real World: San Francisco castmates' views of him, Rainey said, "They wanted me to change, and that's not in my book."
"They made it clear they didn't want to participate in my life," he added.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
