‘Real World’ Star Sues MTV, Claims She Was Raped With a Tootbrush

Tonya Cooley was a member of 2002’s “Real World: Chicago,” and since then she’s appeared as a Playboy Cybergirl of the Week and starred in Cinemax’s The Erotic Traveler 02: Lost in Ecstasy (sounds good). She has also appeared on eight seasons of the “Real World/Road Rules Challenge,” a career that is likely over now that she’s suing MTV and the castmates that allegedly raped her with a toothbrush.

Cooley’s lawsuit claims that while she was passed out — and MTV was filming — Santucci and Starkman “took another male participant’s toothbrush and rubbed the toothbrush around plaintiff’s genitals, including rubbing her labia and inserting the toothbrush into plaintiff’s vagina.”

But if she was passed out and didn’t object, is it really rape? Yes? Oh. I should probably write that down somewhere.

Cooley then alleges producers replaced the toothbrush and didn’t tell her what happened. She also says producers encouraged male cast members to “inappropriately touch female cast members’ bodies, including in intimate areas,” while stripped of their bathing suits. Apparently she and other female “Challenge” participants reported the incidents, but MTV didn’t do anything about it. [Zap2it via TMZ]

If this is true, it’s a pretty terrible and disgusting act. But not surprising. In fact, MTV has “you might get raped” built into its reality contracts. Seriously. Remember when the standard “Real World” contract leaked? It’s right there in Stipulation 7:

• Producers are under no obligation to conduct background checks on your fellow cast members. (7)

• Interacting with other cast members carries the risk of “non-consensual physical contact” and should you contract AIDS, etc. during such an interaction, MTV is not responsible. (7)

The lesson, children, as always: DON’T GO ON REALITY TELEVISION. Go to school and learn a trade useful to society. Like blogging!

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