Heavy A RHONJ guest star died.
A personal trainer featured on early episodes of The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” has died.
Lance Darren Goodall, who was known to clients as Darren “Venom” Goodall, died by apparent suicide amid a child sex abuse investigation in Florida on July 28, 2023, The Bradenton Herald reported.
Goodall appeared with Danielle Staub on a season 2 episode of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and worked with several other stars from the Bravo reality franchise.
Here’s what you need to know:
Darren Goodall Was Under Investigation by County Detectives in Florida
Goodall, 32, was a celebrity trainer, boxer, and jiu-jitsu coach who owned Venom Fitness in Osprey, Florida. He was also the father of a toddler son, Tyson, as seen on his Instagram page.
According to a press release from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and viewed by Heavy, Goodall was under investigation for alleged sexual battery of a minor at the time of his death.
After detectives reviewed sexual text messages Goodall exchanged with one of his underage students, they attempted to contact the trainer to charge him with three counts of sexual battery by a person in a position of custodial authority. When Manatee County detectives arrived at his Lakewood Ranch home, Goodall was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to Fox 13, the 14-year-old child involved in the investigation had been Goodall’s student since October 2021. Goodall had allegedly threatened suicide if the minor female told anyone about their relationship.
The child’s father discovered videos and photos of “inappropriate sexual activity” between his daughter and Goodall on her phone and contacted the police, per The Daily Voice.
The investigation into Goodall’s alleged actions remains open, the sheriff department’s press release states. Anyone with information should contact the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Danielle Staub Practiced Boxing With Darren Goodall
An obituary for Goodall stated he “was featured in Forbes Magazine and garnered attention from Bravo TV, Vegas Times, and Flaunt Magazine.”
In 2010, Goodall was briefly seen in the RHONJ season 2 episode “Staub Wounds.” In the episode, then-cast member Danielle Staub took boxing instruction from Goodall to defend herself against people who were trying to “hurt” her.
In a 2011 YouTube video, Staub was also seen doing a boxing workout with Goodall.
She also gave the trainer a shout-out on her Bravo blog as she thanked everyone who helped her during difficult times. “A special thank you to my personal trainer Darren Goodall, who’s worked with me for the past seven months,” Staub wrote on her blog in 2010.
According to OceanDrive.com, Goodall was just 28 years old when he opened Venom Fitness in Wyckoff, NJ. His second location in Osprey, FL opened up a few years later, but the New Jersey location did not survive the COVID pandemic.
The outlet noted that Goodall was featured on Bravo TV as a trainer for Staub, Lauren Manzo, and Ashlee Malleo and he made cameos in two Bravo features.
In 2020, Malleo, who is the daughter of Jacqueline Laurita, credited Goodall for helping her transform her body. “I’m currently down 20 lbs thanks to @venomfit_onlinetransformations aka @bossmanvenom,” she wrote in December 2020, per BravoTV.com. “He holds me accountable DAILY.”
You can report child sexual abuse to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.