Reality catches up to VH1 reality show

By Eriq Gardner

VH1 has announced it is postponing future airings of the reality show Megan Wants A Millionaire after contestant Ryan Jenkins was charged yesterday with murdering his ex-wife.

Jenkins has not been located yet by police who suspect he entered his native Canada on foot.

This episode is opening up discussion about the way that reality producers vet contestants' backgrounds. Failure to keep someone with a checkered past off a show could expose producers to liability, say some entertainment lawyers.

51 Minds, producer of the show that features wealthy bachelor contestants vying for love, issued a statement saying it had hired an outside company to investigate its contestants, but it appears they didn't uncover the 15 months of probation that Jenkins was sentenced to by a Canada court for an unspecified assault charge.

"Clearly, the process did not work properly in this case. 51 Minds is investigating what went wrong and taking steps to ensure that this sort of lapse never occurs again," the company said in a statement.

UPDATE: Jenkins was found dead by Canadian police. Some suspect suicide.