New details have emerged regarding the death of Tyler Duckworth, a contestant on MTV's "The Challenge," who was found unresponsive in his North Dakota apartment. Duckworth was 44.
The Grand Forks Police Department responded to a report of water seeping through the ceiling of Duckworth's apartment on Tuesday. Upon arrival, officers determined the water was coming from his bathtub and found Duckworth unresponsive.
Authorities stated there were no immediate signs of foul play or a suspicious death. The cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy and a toxicology report, which could take up to 12 weeks to complete. The case has been classified as an unattended death.
Duckworth's mother, Joni Duckworth, announced his passing earlier in the week on Facebook, noting that the cause of death had yet to be determined. A source also indicated to The US Sun that Duckworth had recently undergone surgery, though it is unclear if the procedure was related to his death.
Duckworth was last publicly seen on July 31, attending a Challenge Mania event in Minneapolis. He posted on Instagram from the event, expressing his gratitude for the fans and his fellow "Challenge" alumni.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Minneapolis, Duckworth competed in swimming at Tufts University before making his reality television debut in 2006 on "The Real World: Key West." He went on to compete in six seasons of "The Challenge," winning "Cutthroat" in 2010 and "Rivals" in 2011. He also appeared in "The Duel," "The Gauntlet III," "All Stars 2," and "All Stars 3." After a decade-long hiatus, he returned for "All Stars 2" in 2021, where he spoke about the importance of representing the LGBTQ+ community as one of the show's few openly gay champions.
Duckworth had recently relocated back to the Midwest and was working as a schoolteacher in North Dakota. His passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes from former castmates and fans, many of whom remembered his competitive spirit and impact on the LGBTQ+ community.