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Reality TV star Diem Brown dies of cancer at age 32

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Reality TV star Diem Brown, who gained fame on the MTV show "Real World/Road Rules Challenge," died on Friday in New York after battling cancer, People magazine reported. She was 32.
/ Source: Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Reality TV star Diem Brown, who gained fame on the MTV show "Real World/Road Rules Challenge," died on Friday in New York after battling cancer, People magazine reported. She was 32.

"Diem was a true fighter and brought passion to everything she touched," MTV said in a statement. Brown had chronicled her fight against the disease in a blog for People.com.

When Brown joined MTV in 2006 to appear on "Fresh Meat," she revealed that she had ovarian cancer. After surgery and chemotherapy, she returned to the network to appear in "The Duel."

Brown was again diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and used her experience to become a patient advocate. She hosted an MTV.com special that year for young cancer patients and founded a gift registry site for people experiencing medical hardship.

On Tuesday, Brown tweeted, "I need prayers and advice. My doctors are seemingly giving up but I won't and can't roll over. Whatever option I have to live I'm grabbing."

Brown's friends expressed their grief on Twitter.

"Hard to say with a heavy heart and teary eyes, fly high @DiemBrownMTV #RIP," tweeted actress Brittany Baldi.

Chet Cannon, who appeared in MTV's "Real World: Brooklyn," said, "I believe in a heaven and I have not doubt she was received lovingly on the other end."

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney, Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy)