In a headline that sounds like it came from a satire site, Donald Trump has appointed former Real World: Boston cast member Sean Duffy as the interim head of NASA.
Before entering politics, Duffy found fame in the late ’90s as one of seven housemates on MTV’s The Real World, a reality show known for its messy drama and even messier hookups. One of Duffy’s most memorable moments on the show? A barely-there striptease in a hotel room, wearing nothing but a towel, and at one point, allegedly getting his nipple licked on camera.
Has nine children
Fast forward a few decades, and Duffy, now 53, has found himself at the helm of the United States’ top space agency, TIME reports.
Announcing the appointment on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country’s Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again.
He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time. Congratulations, and thank you, Sean.”
Duffy, who has nine children with his wife and fellow MTV alum Rachel Campos-Duffy, responded with a celebratory tweet: “Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let’s launch.”
While the appointment may seem surprising to some, Duffy’s political resume has been building for years. After his reality TV debut, he became a district attorney in Ashland County, Wisconsin in 2002, served in Congress from 2010 to 2019, and was tapped by Trump earlier this year as Secretary of Transportation.
His new role at NASA comes amid the departure of current administrator Janet Petro, and follows the president’s decision to pass over initial nominee Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur and SpaceX astronaut. In a now-viral rant, Trump claimed Isaacman was “a blue-blooded Democrat” too closely tied to Elon Musk—adding it would be “inappropriate” for someone so aligned with Musk’s business interests to lead NASA.
The resurfacing of Duffy’s towel-clad dance video in February stirred fresh conversation, but hasn’t slowed his political rise. His former Real World castmate Montana McGlynn defended the footage.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, she said: “We were in our early 20s and going through a unique and exciting experience. We were all just looking to have fun and explore what it meant to be young.”
She added: “He always said he’d hold public office.”
Now, the man once known for late-night hotel antics is steering the future of American space exploration. Whether this latest appointment soars—or crashes—is anyone’s guess.
