TRUE Life star Charlie Balducci shopped around a reality TV show with his then-wife Sabrina a year before his sudden death at age 44, The Sun can exclusively reveal.
Charlie was found unresponsive in his Staten Island home on Saturday and was pronounced dead on the scene.
Public relations representative Johnny Donovan met the True Life: “I’m Getting Married” stars through mutual friends and helped them shop around a reality TV show called The Balduccis in 2019.
Johnny told The Sun: “It was a Chrisley Knows Best meets Jersey Shore meets Mob Wives.
"The show was about their family, their relationship, their two boys and his non-profit NYC Arts Cypher. We shopped it for three to four months in 2019.”
Johnny explained how the former MTV stars were “amazing on camera.”
He continued: “They are TV gold. On camera, they knew how to turn it on.
“They went in, we sat down, I showed the pitch, they did an on-camera interview. Some networks liked it, some didn’t. We were trying to figure out the dynamics and funding.”
In 2001, MTV cameras followed Charlie and Sabrina for four months as they planned their wedding.
When Charlie learned the limo driver was late, he went on an expletive-filled rant that went down in reality TV history.
He screamed: "I will gut you like the piece of s**t you are… I'll hunt you down like cattle!”
When the scene aired, Johnny explained how they were approached by networks, but neither acted on the offers.
He continued: “They never wanted to put their kids in the spotlight. They wanted the kids to have a normal life.”
Charlie and Sabrina separated before they landed a deal, though neither had filed for divorce at the time of his death.
Charlie’s cause of death remains unknown, as the Medical Examiner confirmed to The Sun that they are “investigating” and that toxicology results are “pending.”
His oldest son Louis, 19, started a GoFundMe page following the death.
The page read: “My dad is my best friend. His presence was larger than life, and he made sure to live that way in the relationships he made, the places he went, the people he loved, and the things he taught us. He could warm up the coldest room with his jokes and wit – but at the same time, make you feel like he was really listening and there for you.
“No matter what was going on in his life, he always found a way to support his family and those in his community. He always made sure we had a dad. He touched a lot of people’s lives, and pushed my brother and I to be better versions of ourselves everyday.
"He believed in us more than we believed in ourselves – and that made us the men we are today. If you knew him, you’d know his crazy sense of humor, his ability to be your foundation during tough times, and his good heart.
“It’s hard to lose someone like my dad, but we will never lose the things he taught us, the memories we made, and the love he had for everyone. He will live on in our memories, in how he changed his community, and through the impact he had on all those he crossed paths with.”
The description ended: “He will never be forgotten. We kindly accept any donations for the funeral and memorial services, as well as to help my brother and I get through this unexpected tragedy. We miss him greatly.”
The family has raised $8,353 at press time.
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