Real World Cast Member Sues Co-Stars For Raping Her with a Toothbrush
Tonya Cooley (left), who appeared on The Real World: Chicago and Real World/Road Rules Challenge, is suing MTV, Bunim/Murray Productions, and co-stars Kenny Santucci (right) and Evan Starkman (center), saying the men sexually assaulted her with a toothbrush while she lay unconscious, TMZ reports.
According to the complaint, 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." This occurred while she was "passed out cold" and "cameras were rolling."
Cooley accuses the show's producers of being aware of the incident and having replaced the toothbrush in the hopes that she wouldn't discover what had happened. The suit also claims the show encouraged unwelcome sexual behavior among its cast, forcing the female players to strip out of their bathing suits at one point, and encouraging the men to "inappropriately touch female cast members' bodies, including in intimate areas."
UPDATE: We've contacted a spokesperson for Bunim/Murray Productions, who offered this statement on the case: "After a thorough investigation, we have found Tonya Cooley's claims to be completely baseless." [TMZ, Photos via MTV]