Yahoo Lifestyle 22 People From The 2000s That Only Millennials Will Recall From Their Short-Lived Fame
Warning: This post mentions sexual assault and pedophilia.
Millennials were blessed with early 2000s celebrity culture, including the most outrageous reality TV shows and epic celebrity scandals. Being famous in the 2000s, meant you were FAMOUS. These celebrities had short-lived fame but millennials will always remember these faces since they gave us memories (some unwanted) that we will never forget.
1.Omarosa Manigault Newman
Millennials will remember watching Donald Trump yell at Omarosa on The Apprentice and the sassiness she gave back. She was part of the reason I fell in love with reality TV. The former 2000s reality star and political aid stirred up a lot of drama on The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice, and went on to star in other reality TV shows. As of 2023, she was on the first season of House of Villains on E!
2.Andy Milonakis
The Andy Milonakis theme song has been in my head on repeat since 2005. His sketch comedy series, The Andy Milonakis Show, ran for three seasons, with a unique spin to skits, and was known for his off-the-cuff humor. The possibilities for his show were endless and even though it has been almost 20 years, I wish his show was rebooted!
Adding another catchy song to the mix... Rebecca Black was ahead of her time with her pop song "Friday." When this song was released 12 years ago, it had millennials in a chokehold. In 2021, she remixed the song with Dorian Electra, Big Freedia, and 3OH!3.
4.Jared from Subway Commercials
Back when millennials were forced to watch commercials, everyone knew Jared from the Subway campaigns for his weight loss journey. The commercials ran in the early 2000s (back when Subway was reasonably priced). In a dark turn of events, Jared went to federal prison for child pornography amongst other charges... definitely not what the public expected after following Jared's journey for so long. What a creep.
Josh Hartnett was an early 2000s heartthrob. Even though he's had a successful film career, he was rarely in the media and mainstream movies for a long time. However, more recently, he's appeared in the third season of The Bear, Oppenheimer, and Trap. Millennials remember his bad-boy-star presence and we love seeing him make a comeback!
6.The Little Lad from The Starburst Commercial
The commercial was rediscovered on TikTok by a GenZ-er after a millennial mentioned there was a striking resemblance between the GenZ-er and this eccentric, little lad. The Little Lad appeared in a Starburst commercial in 2007 and had millennials screaming BERRIES AND CREAM.
7.Liam Kyle Sullivan
Liam made the viral "Shoes" video in 2006. Every millennial will remember the words to this song. Just like the "Friday," song it's IMPOSSIBLE to forget. Liam continues to make videos for YouTube.
8.Farrah Abraham
Farrah appeared on Teen Mom with her first episode airing in Season One in 2009. Farrah became a huge hit for the show as we followed her journey from mom to star. She is the definition of GREAT REALITY TV. She was on Teen Mom for several seasons until she quit the show and pursued a career in the adult entertainment industry.
9.Shane West
Shane starred alongside Mandy Moore in the heartbreaking movie, A Walk To Remember, in 2002. This was the most popular romance movie of the year and with every great romance movie, means a handsome lead who becomes popular with the public. Every millennial wanted to see more of him but his career faded out.
10.Cara Cunningham
Another viral internet sensation, Cara Cunningham made the popular "Leave Britney Alone!" video in 2007. She represents the nostalgia for the old YouTube and is one of the first “e-celebs."
11.Daisy de la Hoya
Daisy de la Hoya was on Rock of Love 2 and had her own reality dating show, Daisy of Love which premiered in 2009. Her show was amongst many popular dating shows at the time and it had no shortage of drama. It was a messy love show filled with fights and chaotic potential matches, but her show holds a special place in millennials' hearts.
12.Xzibit
Pimp My Ride, hosted by Xzibit, ran from 2004-2007. He began his career as a rapper, but transitioned into a TV host and actor. Pimp My Ride was a popular MTV show even though it was short-lived. Each episode featured a run-down car that got an outrageous upgrade. They were seriously over the top...one of the cars even had an installed fish tank.
13.Adam Richman
Adam is the reason millennials are addicted to mukbang and extreme food challenge videos. Adam hosted the TV show Man V. Food on the Travel Channel which first aired in 2008. His inviting personality, daring food challenges, and down-to-earth personality made his show very successful.
14.Brooke Hogan
Brooke Hogan, Hulk Hogan's daughter, is a musician and TV personality. She starred in her father's show, Hogan Knows Best, and became a millennial fan-favorite as she was just a teenager in the show. She went on to star in her own reality TV series, Brooke Knows Best in 2008.
15.Justin Brescia aka Justin Bobby
Justin first appeared on The Hills as the bad boy love interest. He brought a lot of drama to the show and we all know millennials love their reality TV drama. Justin appeared on The Hills: New Beginnings with some of the original cast in 2019. For my fellow millennials, you'll remember when he WORE COMBAT BOOTS TO THE BEACH.
16.Paula DeAnda
Paula DeAnda, singer and songwriter, was popular in the early 2000's. Her songs, "Walk Away (Remember Me)" and "Doing Too Much," were huge hits amongst millennials. Her singing career slowed down over the years, but her songs continue to receive thousands of streams.
17.Ryan Sheckler
Ryan Sheckler was first introduced to many millennials with his MTV reality show, Life of Ryan, which aired in 2007. The show followed his family and his successful skateboarding journey. Although Life of Ryan only ran for three seasons, it was a change of pace from the other MTV shows, and wildly popular.
18.Stacie Orrico
Singer and songwriter, Stacie Orrico is known for her popular song, "Stuck," released in 2003. Her singing career didn't take off, but she was a millennial favorite because of her few hit songs.
19.Ryan Cabrera
Ryan Cabrera's name was popular in the early 2000's. He was featured in teen magazines and even had a brief appearance on The Hills. The musician dated Ashlee Simpson and Audrina Partridge. His name slowly faded from the headlines but millennials will remember his hit song, "On The Way Down."
20.Jay Lyon
Jay starred in The Hills spin-off, The City, as Whitney Port's love interest. The City ran for two seasons and was short-lived, but Jay remained a reality show fan favorite since he dated Whitney and everyone loved Whitney!
21.Michael Seater
Michael Seater starred as Derek in Life with Derek. A Canadian-acquired show that aired on Disney Channel, Life with Derek ran for four seasons in the early 2000s. The show was known for having an unconventional vibe because of the chemistry between Seater and his on-screen step-sister, Ashley Leggat. Millennials everywhere will remember Seater and the edginess he brought to a very PG Disney channel.
22.Antoine Dodson
Antoine Dodson became an online sensation after his TV interview went viral. During the interview, he talked about fighting off his sister's attacker and how the neighborhood needs to be prepared and said, "... He's climbing in your window, he's snatching your people up trying to rape them so y'all need to hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband 'cause they're raping everybody out here."
