Real World Boston’s Sean Duffy is also a Trump Cabinet nominee

The group quickly adjusted to Boston, visiting bygone venues such as the Beacon Hill Pub, a Fenway club called AXIS, and a grocery store now replaced by a Nuts Factory, as well as places that still exist today, including The Paramount restaurant and Fig.

These relationships, As fans of the series know, there was no shortage of dramatic confrontations and heated discussions about sensitive social issues. He particularly clashed with his roommate Kameelah Phillips, whom he called a “bitch” during a heated argument and later compared to Adolf Hitler and accused her of reverse racism.

During a conversation with castmate Jason Cornwell, Duffy claimed another housemate told him they heard Phillips say that “black people are the king and queen of society.”

“This is the mentality of the 1850s white man, that we are the royal race and we are going to put the black man in slavery. She wants to have that racism and that same black versus white mentality now,” Duffy said. “It’s a kind of ‘master race’ idea, that’s what Hitler thought.”

When Duffy confronted Phillips about the alleged comments, she responded, “I don’t think I’ve ever said anything like that. “As a Black man living in the United States, how can I have room for prejudice?”

This wasn’t the only time Duffy had tense conversations about race. Earlier in the season, Duffy and Syrus Yarbrough, the only other black cast member, clashed over differing views on racism in the United States. In two conversations, Duffy argued that black people should not blame their circumstances on historical racial injustices and said that Yarbrough likely had better job prospects than he did because of affirmative action.

“Just because my grandpa enslaved your grandpa doesn’t mean I should be punished for it,” Duffy said.

Duffy recalled his conflict with Phillips and argued that white people could also be discriminated against.

“If we were to switch and I went to a black neighborhood, I would be ridiculed or whatever, discriminated against, probably like you would be if you went to a white neighborhood,” Duffy told Yarbrough. “It’s the same thing, it’s all relevant.”

Despite the two’s opposing viewpoints, their discussion ended quite lightheartedly, with each expressing openness to the other’s opinions. The two ended up getting along well and maintained a friendship for the rest of the season.

“I haven’t faced a lot of the problems that Syrus has brought, but I’m open to it and trying to learn,” Duffy said during an on-camera interview.

“Sean was once attacked by some black people,” Yarbrough said in a later clip. “The fact that he actually comes to me shows that he has to be open-minded.”

However, Phillips did not share this opinion. In another episode, Phillips was on the phone with a friend and expressed her frustration at having to educate Duffy about the Black experience.

“He’s like the whitest white boy I’ve ever met. The first black guy he’s friends with is one, my roommate Syrus, and then me,” Phillips said. “I don’t think it’s fair that I have to live here and be his roommate and spend all my time teaching him about black people and blackness.”

Later in the episode, over breakfast with roommate Montana McGlynn, Duffy brought up his conflict with Phillips before the group’s trip to Martha’s Vineyard, joking that they should “bring a gun for (Phillips) so she can play Russian roulette.” , a comment that startled McGlynn.

Their tensions continued long after the show aired. In a 2020 podcast interview, Phillips, now a gynecologist in New York who supported Kamala Harris in the November presidential election, said she “lost her shit” during a virtual cast meeting after realizing that Duffy had been called by an anti-mask Trump rally.

“I’m literally in the hospital and in an environment where people are trying to save lives, getting people to wear masks, understanding how serious this is, and he’s back on the other side of the coin 20 years later like me,” Phillips said.

Duffy also caused trouble at the group’s assigned workplace, an after-school program in East Boston. While accompanying a group of students on a trip to a presidential summit in Philadelphia, he slept through President Bill Clinton’s speech. The next day, he and Yarbrough showed up late to a rally after partying with a group of students the night before.

In another case of professional misconduct, Duffy was sent home from work after his boss made a “melodramatic outburst” in front of students because he overheard Phillips allegedly having sex in the house the night before. He was also caught for drinking alcohol in front of students at the summit, but ultimately escaped punishment.

In one of the final episodes titled “Redemption,” Duffy attempted to make amends He started a log rolling program at the school, drawing on his experiences in lumberjack competitions.

“This is exactly how I make an impact on these kids,” Duffy said of the positive response he received from students and parents to the program.

However, his reviews at home were increasingly negative. At one point, he upset his roommate Elka Walker by making fun of her “crusty underwear,” but later apologized. He was then named “Asshole of the Year” by castmate Genesis Moss after an argument about the cleanliness of the house.

Despite these arguments, Duffy was not unanimously disliked within the group. He was close friends with Yarbrough and often joined him on group outings for drinks. Duffy also developed a playful bond with McGlynn and they often had dinner together. In an on-camera interview, McGlynn is seen wrapping her arms around Duffy as they joke around.

Unlike several other castmates, Duffy also avoided any relationship drama and was seen talking to his girlfriend on the phone. However, the status of their relationship was unclear during the season, as he rarely mentioned her and flirted with McGlynn and Moss at times.

One of Duffy’s first comments upon entering the house was a question he had recently asked about a hot tub Viewers said it sent out “really bad vibes”. In one clip, the women of the house laughed in disbelief after being flashed by Duffy running away in American flag underwear.

In an early episode, Duffy declares Moss “hot” and later tells her so he “definitely wants to have sex with her,” a remark that she laughs at. That same night, Duffy and McGlynn ran around the house drunk, pretending to have sex to upset Walker, who is extremely religious.

“I have never seen drunk people so crass and vulgar in my life, even on spring break,” Walker said.

In 1998, Duffy continued his MTV journey as a contestant on the spin-off show Road Rules: All Stars, where he met his wife Rachel Campos-Duffy, who had starred in 1994’s Real World: San Francisco. Since then, the two have moved into politics as conservative pundits on Fox News.

In 2002, just five years after the show, Duffy was appointed district attorney for Ashland County in Wisconsin, a position he held for eight years. The next year, he appeared on ESPN’s “Great Outdoor Games” as both a commentator and participant. In 2010, he was elected to Congress, where he served until 2019, and in December 2022, he was named co-host of Fox Business’s “The Bottom Line.”

In his nomination statement, Trump praised Duffy as “a great and popular public servant.”

Sabrina Lam can be reached at [email protected].