Tara Reid's journey through fame and personal struggles is a complex tale of highs and lows. Once a celebrated actress known for her breakout role in "American Pie," her career faced numerous challenges that often overshadowed her talent. As a public figure, she has been the target of relentless media scrutiny, which has only intensified her personal battles. This article dives deep into her life, exploring the tragic details that have shaped her narrative over the years.
After a few years of small TV guest roles, Tara Reid's career blossomed when she appeared in five projects in 1998, including the acclaimed film "The Big Lebowski." Really, though, Reid's breakthrough came in 1999, when she shot to worldwide fame after "American Pie" became a smash hit. She continued to book high-profile jobs over the next few years, including "Dr. T & the Women," "Josie and the Pussycats," and "National Lampoon's Van Wilder," none of which did well with critics. Nearly all of her films also bombed at the box office, which may have stalled Reid's trajectory had her offscreen antics not already done that. By 2004, it seemed Reid could only get cast in D-list films, some of which never hit theaters (for example, "Incubus") and one of which ("The Crow: Wicked Prayer") has a shocking 0% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Over the next decade, Reid continued to earn more attention for her personal struggles and reality television appearances than for her acting. Save for "American Reunion" in 2012, she did not appear in anything noteworthy until 2013's "Sharknado," which was essentially so-bad-it's-good fun that it became a cultural phenomenon. And though she has continued to be a little messy here and there — like that infamous "Today" interview or that time she was allegedly kicked off a plane, both in 2018 — Reid seems fulfilled in her life today. Her career could still use a boost but, to be fair, Reid's life has not always been smooth sailing. Here are some tragic details about Tara Reid.
Both of her engagements ended without a walk down the aisle
Tara Reid has never been married — despite once fibbing about getting officially hitched — but she has been engaged. In fact, she has been engaged two times that we know of, first to Carson Daly and then to Michael Axtmann. Though they were together decades ago, many still associate the actor with Daly, whom she initially met at an MTV event in Cancun. The pair got engaged only seven months after their 2000 meeting and initially had a wedding date before Reid cancelled it to film a movie. The wedding was never rescheduled, as the pair separated in mid-2001.
"I lost my appetite — I was numb," Reid told CosmoGirl of the split. "I literally thought I couldn't breathe. ... Every restaurant, every food, every song reminded me of him. I'm okay now, but there are times I definitely miss him. ... I've never had my heart broken before."
Years later, Daly said that Reid's partying and desire for celebrity ended the relationship. As for Reid, she got engaged again in January 2010 when internet entrepreneur Michael Axtmann proposed and within months, called off their planned wedding. Reid then had a string of boyfriends before meeting her current beau in 2019. She and boyfriend Nathan Montpetit-Howar live together in Los Angeles, but as of this writing, there has been no engagement.
Tara Reid regrets her reality show Taradise
Tara Reid's acting career had slowed by the time she took her first big swing at reality television. Fresh off a failed television pilot, Reid agreed to host the E! show "Wild On...," which had been on the air since 1997 and had cycled through hosts such as Brooke Burke and Cindy Taylor. Though no host lasted long, the show allowed her to travel and highlight various cultures and nightlife until it rebranded to "Taradise." Reid later called it "probably the stupidest thing I ever did," acknowledging that she didn’t realize it would ruin her career.
"Taradise" only lasted a season, but Reid considers it a turning point in her career — and clearly not in a good way. Although she traveled to eat and party, the show focused more on her antics than the intended travel theme. "That's where, really, I think the party girl image came," she noted, admitting that she thought it would be fun but was unaware of the consequences.
The actor checked herself into rehab in 2008
