By Charles Switzer
11:01am PST, Feb 4, 2025
Sean Duffy's Embarrassing Reality TV Past Resurfaces
Newly appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as resurfaced footage from his 1997 stint on The Real World: Boston makes waves online.
The clip, which aired on MTV, shows a young Duffy performing a raunchy Chippendale-style striptease, prancing around nearly naked in front of his castmates. With only a towel covering his bottom-half, the footage is narrated with sarcasm joking that Duffy was "not a lumberjack, but a Chippendale dancer."
Adding to the cringe factor, his costar Montana McGlynn is seen licking his nipple, a moment that has reignited questions about his past and how it aligns with his new high-profile government role.
Here is everything to know about the Secretary of Transportation's "racy" past.
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Wild Nights and Controversial Behavior on Reality TV
Duffy's time on The Real World was marked by flirtations, late-night partying and eyebrow-raising antics. His fixation on castmate Genesis Moss, who openly identified as a lesbian became one of the season's most infamous plotlines.
Despite her clear disinterest, Duffy relentlessly pursued her at one point even propositioning her to "feel my noodle." He also skipped a scheduled mentorship meeting with at-risk children to hook up with a local woman, leading to further criticism.
Given his new role overseeing the Department of Transportation during a national aviation crisis, many find his past behavior particularly jarring.
Duffy's First Crisis: The Reagan Airport Mid-Air Collision
Duffy was sworn in as Transportation Secretary just a day before the deadly mid-air collision between an American Eagle passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport.
The tragedy, which claimed 67 lives, put immense pressure on Duffy to restore confidence in U.S. aviation safety. However, rather than focusing solely on policy solutions, Duffy joined President Donald Trump, himself an ex-reality TV star, in blaming the Biden administration's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for the disaster.
His controversial comments have sparked backlash, with critics arguing that his focus on "cultural issues over aviation safety" is misplaced.
Blaming DEI for Aviation Failures Sparks Debate
In his first major interview since taking office, Duffy echoed Trump's assertion that DEI policies weakened aviation standards, potentially contributing to the Reagan Airport tragedy. Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, Duffy argued that previous transportation officials were "focused on changing the name from 'cockpit' to 'flight deck' or 'notice to airmen' to 'notice to air mission' instead of ensuring safety."
When asked directly if DEI caused the crash, Duffy avoided a definitive answer, instead stating that his priority was ensuring that "only the best and the brightest" serve in key transportation roles.
Those comments have drawn even sharper criticism, with many accusing him of politicizing a national tragedy and "already becoming a disaster of epic proportions."
From Reality TV Star to Trump's Transportation Secretary
Despite the controversy surrounding his past, Duffy's nomination to head the Department of Transportation received bipartisan support, with a Senate confirmation vote of 77-22. His long-standing ties to Washington, having served five terms in Congress were key in securing his appointment.
President Trump has publicly praised him as a "tremendous and well-liked public servant." Duffy is the second former Fox News personality to join Trump's cabinet, following Pete Hegseth's appointment as Secretary of Defense.
With the nation's aviation safety under scrutiny, all eyes will be on Duffy to see if he can move past his reality TV history and rise to the challenge of leading the Department of Transportation.
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