Ryan Knight, MTV’s Real World: New Orleans alum, has died at the age of 29.
Knight was reportedly found dead by his friends on Thanksgiving morning after a night of partying, according to gossip site TMZ, who was first to report his passing. One of his friends explained that Knight had choked on his own vomit, leading to his death.
According to Ryan’s friends, he was very upbeat on Wednesday night, and even spoke highly of a new girl he had recently started dating.
Aside from spending time in the Real World house, Knight also appeared on MTV’s The Challenge: Rivals II, The Challenge: Battle of the Exes II, and The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons.
Knight’s death comes just two weeks after fellow MTV reality star Diem Brown, 32, passed away after a long battle with ovarian cancer. The day before Brown’s funeral, Knight posted a touching tweet to his The Challenge co-star.
“A funeral for an Angel tomorrow,” he wrote. “She’ll fly the highest and shine the brightest. And without a doubt she’ll be dancing over us. Love Ya DB.”
Many of the Real World cast members took time out of their day on Thanksgiving to mourn their friend.
“You lived your life in the fast lane, and your smile was contagious. My bunkmate, my buddy,” Knight’s close friend Zach Nichols wrote. “Rest easy pal, I’ll miss you.”
“Controversial, outspoken, and hilarious,” Nichols wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of him, Ryan, and two of their friends. “You lived your life with a reckless abandon, and everyone loved you for it. Anyone who knew you would say you were rough around the edges, but on the inside you truly cared about people and their happiness. “A candle that burns twice and bright only burns half as long.””