Was 'MTV Cribs' Real? The Show Totally Lied About the Wealth of These Stars

In the early 2000s, 'MTV Cribs' was a cultural phenomenon that showcased the luxurious and over the top lives of celebrities, but how real was it?

The overdue '90s and mid-2000s were a time of celebrated extra. Just have a look at the TV collection Rome on HBO, which cost a heck of a lot of money to supply. From the set designs to costumes, the attention to detail is staggering.

This, of route, is only one instance of renowned extra in scripted tv, but even in the reality space, there are a large number of techniques that put lives of luxurious front and middle.

There's most likely no show that embodies that more than MTV Cribs, which first aired on September 12, 2000. The fashionable revamp of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous featured a litany of song recording artists, actors, and different celebrities who had been exchanging promotional display screen time for a glimpse into their private lives.

But was the show real?

Was 'MTV Cribs' real?

I hate to be the one to damage this to you, but the word "reality" in truth TV is a sexy loosely outlined time period for the most part. Even the maximum unique of presentations characteristic some degree of pre-planned manufacturing.

Others flat out stage events, fights, altercations, storylines, and drama between characters. Some straight-up rent actors to painting people who have compatibility a selected storyline. (Heck, I was employed to play a "bad waiter" on a kitchen rehab show once.)

So how faux was MTV Cribs? Well, there are some stars who gave the impression on the program who completely lied about the properties that they owned only for the sake of production hitting their scheduling guidelines. Singer JoJo mentioned that she and her mother didn't even live in a home at the time their episode was filmed; they have been if truth be told living in hotels. The house featured on the show? It was her uncle's.

"It was so ridiculous. The thing is, we didn't have a home at that point. My mom and I were living out of suitcases and we were mostly in hotels. So that was actually my uncle's house, on the Cape. That wasn't my house. That wasn't my stuff.

"When I was sitting on the spinny thing, that was his kids'. That's the reality. I should've balled exhausting, and been like, 'Welcome to my crib, have a look at how luxurious it is,' and I will have to have rented out a spot. But no. I just used my uncle's crib. So that was me mendacity on Cribs," she said.

Ja Rule's weird episode, which features a cookout and pool party with Vin Diesel, got the rapper in legal trouble. Ja was sued by the real owner of a home he rented and passed off as his own without getting permission for MTV to film there. Oh, and he reportedly wrecked the place without paying for repairs.

OK, so some people lied about their houses on MTV cribs, but did the folks really own the stuff they bragged about on the show?

It's not uncommon for famous people whose public image is deeply intertwined with their boasts about wealth to lie; Jay-Z says a lot of rappers tell tall tales about how much money they have. It turns out this is exactly the case for MTV Cribs as well.

If you've watched a few episodes, then you've probably seen a fair share of musicians flaunting not only massive mansions that may or may not be theirs, but a rolodex of luxury automobiles to boot.

Having a pristine collection of cars isn't like owning a bunch of jewelry, Magic: The Gathering Cards, or bespoke limited-edition lawn gnomes. They require a lot of maintenance and upkeep, especially higher-end vehicles. The whips that 50 Cent showed off in his episode didn't belong to the rapper, for instance — they were rentals, according to his 2015 bankruptcy filing.

'MTV Cribs' is coming back on the air with all new episodes

There are plenty of other instances of celebrities lying about the grandiosity of their lifestyles on MTV Cribs. Will that tomfoolery be back in full effect with the series reboot on the network?

Or does MTV have a larger problem to face (that in the wake of the crippling financial affect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a show the place a host of rich and famous other folks show off their luxurious digs is slightly insensitive)?

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