New Jersey has borne a lot of talent, from musicians to actors and athletes. When you think of celebrities from New Jersey, stars like Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, Meryl Streep, and Whitney Houston probably come to mind. Of course, Jersey is also the home state of many reality stars as well — and a good number of them still live locally (and before you ask — yes, this list goes beyond housewives). From MTV repeat cast members to some Jonas Brothers, we’ve rounded up a list of some well-known reality stars from North Jersey.
Allie and Lexi Kaplan
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The Kaplan twins became social media famous for their daring + provocative artistry (they’re professionally-trained artists). The duo ran the account Inst@famous — which is now called @the_kaplan_twins. They appeared as a package deal on Ex On The Beach, where their mom even made a guest appearance. Hailing from Short Hills, the pair now resides in Los Angeles.
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Angela Babicz
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Hailing from Clifton, Angela Babicz quickly shot to fame as a big personality on Bad Girls Club: Twisted Sisters as well as the inaugural season of Ex on the Beach. She then competed on The Challenge’s Final Reckoning season and returned for the second season of Ex on the Beach. She still lives in New Jersey and is a Nova Beauty Ambassador.
Cody + Paulie Calafiore
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Big Brother alum Cody Calafiore worked as a bartender at Hoboken’s Green Rock before and after making an appearance on the show. He made it to the final four of his season and then was crowned the winner of Big Brother: All Stars in 2020. Cody was quickly followed onto reality tv by his brother, Paulie, who made appearances on Big Brother as well as Ex on the Beach. The brothers have roots in Hackensack and Howell, and Cody is now a New Jersey realtor.
Diandra Delgado
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A native of Teaneck, New Jersey, Diandra competed on Are You The One? Season 6. She later went on to rehash the love triangle formed in the season with herself, Nurys, and Malcolm by appearing on Ex on the Beach. She has since moved to Los Angeles, where she is a content creator.
Kari Snow
Part of a cast that broke barriers on MTV, Kari competed on the LGBTQ+ season of Are You The One? She hails from East Hanover but is now a media personality in Portland, Oregon. Most recently, she was a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens’ Playmaker Squad, and she also competes in pageants across the country.
Kevin Jonas
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The oldest Jonas Brother spends his time in North Jersey, right near where he was born in Teaneck — though the three Jonas Brothers were raised in Wyckoff. Kevin can be spotted around North Jersey semi-frequently, running errands and hanging out with his family. And, after a short stint on reality TV with a show called Married to Jonas, Kevin is back, hosting a show called Claim to Fame alongside his brother, Frankie Jonas. The reality competition premiered on ABC on July 11th and pits 12 contestants, each of whom is related to somebody famous, against each other in order to decipher which celebrity each houseguest is related to.
Maria Elizondo
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This West New York native of Cuban descent appeared on Are You The One? Season 7, which was filmed in Hawaii. She found her perfect match in Shamoy pretty quickly, but things fell apart between the pair almost immediately— according to Maria, things got rocky as soon as they were in their private suite. She then took another chance at reality TV by appearing on Double Shot at Love. These days, Maria is an Instagram model who just completed a degree with honors at Union’s Kean University.
Michele Fitzgerald
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Survivor contestant Michele Fitzgerald was raised in both Freehold and Hoboken, and Michele still lives in the area. After two stints on Survivor and a flurry of other reality show appearances, Michele made her way to MTV’s The Challenge: Ride Or Dies, where she was reunited with her BFF (and ex) Jay Starrett.
Mike Turner
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Retired firefighter Mike Turner is also a former Survivor contestant and still lives in Hoboken. In classic New Jersey fashion, he describes himself as “loyal, loud and fair.” The lifelong Hobokenite won five challenges on his Sole Survivor series, season 42. He finished as the runner up, and he maintained strong connections with his castmates — many of whom attended his November 2021 wedding to his fiance, Staci.
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi
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The former Jersey Shore star now lives with her family in Florham Park — though she also, of course, has a house down the shore for the summers. With her hard partying days behind her, Snooki is now an entrepreneur, and owns The Snooki Shop, with locations in Madison and Seaside Heights as well as an outpost in Beacon, New York. Now, you can find her working on The Meatball Podcast, promoting her wine, and hanging out at her shop.
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Nour Fraij
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Another season 8 contestant from Are You The One?, Nour revealed she had a traditional upbringing in Kenilworth and broke free to realize her true identity. Since competing, she has moved to Las Vegas, where she and her partner recently had a son. She also has a Cameo account and works as a model.
