Reality Show Violence Getting Too Real?

March 30, 3011— -- A slap here, a table flip there, and if we're lucky, an all-out brawl -- violence was once just a scene-stealer on today's reality shows, but it now has become a part of some stars' real lives.

Stars from the hit MTV reality show "Teen Mom 2" are the latest to fall into controversy for fighting.

Janelle Evans, 19, was arrested Sunday after video surfaced of her punching another woman at her Oak Branch, N.C. hometown. She charged with simple assault and simple affray, ABC affiliate WWAY reported.

In the video, Evans can be seen attacking her former friend, Brittany Truett, as others can be heard urging them on in the background. Truett said the fight was over Evan's ex-boyfriend.

"She said she found out about it and called me a liar," Truett said. "I was upset, scared. Shocked."

She added that she thought being on "Teen Mom" was a catalyst for bringing on the fight.

"[Evans] used to be a really sweet girl. Outgoing, fun to be around," Truett said. "Since she got on the show, she has a big head. She's been angry at the world."

Evans' lawyer, Dustin Sullivan, said that his client had no comment on the video.

And Evans isn't the only "Teen Mom" star in legal trouble. Amber Portwood of Anderson, Ind., faces two felony charges of domestic abuse after video showed the 20-year-old attacking her on-again/off-again fiance while their young daughter was nearby. She pleaded not guilty.

Reality shows have been riddled with scenes of over-the-top anger that have erupted into violence, but those dramatic outbursts have turned into ratings gold.

In February, "Jersey Shore's" Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro announced their relationship was over after a lover's quarrel on camera turned into Ortiz-Magro trashing Giancola's bedroom and screaming, "I hate you more than [beep] anybody I've ever hated in my entire [beep] life!"

Punches, and Table Flips Drive Ratings

Ortiz-Margo was also indicted on aggravated assault charges in December for allegedly knocking a man unconscious. He pleaded not guilty.

Last year, "Jersey Shore" aired a video of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi being punched in the face by a man at a bar to promote its upcoming season. Not only did the video go viral online, it helped double the show's ratings from the previous season.

The Kardashian sisters are no strangers to violence either. On their recent reality show, "Kourtney and Kim Take New York," Scott Disick, Kourtney Kardashian's boyfriend and father of their young son Mason, was shown on camera getting into an alcohol-fueled fight at a nightclub. It led to the show's highest ratings.

Then there's that unforgettable scene from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" last year, when the feisty Teresa Giudice flipped a table at a dinner party.

But the outbursts caught on tape don't always lead to the kind of fame these stars want, and the attention can lead to deadly actions. Ryan Jenkins, a former contestant on the VH1 reality show, "Megan Wants to Marry a Millionaire," was charged with killing his wife, Jasmine Foire, before committing suicide.

Stacey Kaiser is a psychologist who has appeared on reality TV shows, including "Celebrity Fit Club" and "Diet Tribe," and is the author of "How To Be a Grown Up." She said she is worried that people's perception of reality is altered when they watch these shows.