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It's generally accepted now that the best route to reality TV is paved in a road of porn. While the world has embraced Kim K., Dustin Zito and the litany of others who have parlayed X-rated careers into reality television, Bravo is dragging its high heels when it comes to admitting that the confirmed star of its Million Dollar Listings New York, Fredrik Eklund, got his start behind the cameras showing off a different kind of high rise.
It's not like Eklund, also known as Tag Erickson, is ashamed of his porn career; in 2010 he spoke candidly about his career change in a New York Times piece unambiguously titled "From Pornography to Real Estate."
But Bravo made no mention of "Tag Erickson"'s existence in a press release issued today to confirm Eklund as one of its Million Dollar stars.
Fredrik Eklund is the youngest Managing Director for Prudential Douglas Elliman. With more than 1.25 billion dollars in residential sales, he is known for being a “listings machine” working with the firm’s senior management team focusing on international sales, new developments and re-sales throughout Manhattan. Eklund is constantly rated as downtown’s “Top Luxury Broker” and was nominated as “Rookie of the Year” by the Real Estate Board of New York. He set record sales in 28 buildings in Manhattan last year and is often spotted showing apartments to top name celebrities. Originally from Stockholm, Sweden, Eklund studied at the Stockholm School of Economics before founding an Internet company and working for the investment bank SEB in Stockholm, London, Singapore and Tokyo. In addition, he is the founder of a high end residential real estate brokerage in Scandinavia with 35 employees.
"...and developed his camera-working skills as a popular gay porn star," it should have continued.
But Bravo's casting announcement didn't include the well-known fact, hinting the show will either play out Eklund's past in one of those cliched "dirty secrets" episode arcs for sweeps or will completely ignore the most entertaining aspect of an otherwise boring show all together.
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