Brenda and Anslee's interviews with LA Times
'America's Next Top Model': Brenda says Angelea was 'intimidated by me'
The “America’s Next Top Model” house is definitely missing a den mother with Brenda leaving the show last week. With the house divided into two groups in the last episode, I called one “Team Brenda” and the other “Team Angelea.”
“Angelea really did try to stir the pot,” says Brenda, 23. “I’m really patient, but if you keep pushing, as you saw, everybody saw a different side of me and I just finally snapped.”
House drama wasn’t Brenda’s only problem. She not only got one horrific "Ty-over," but two. And it seemed she never quite bounced back from them.
How did you feel about your "Ty-overs"?
On the first makeover, it did take me a day or two. When you’ve had long hair for so long, you know, you’re in shock. I realized, OK, I’m not going home over this. Then, Tyra said in my pictures, I still wasn’t showing the right amount of fierceness with the edgy haircut. Then, I got my second makeover. I liked my first one a lot better than my second. So, when I got my second one, I was just like, oh no! The buzzed sides looked great on Simone, but I wasn’t embracing it like I should have.
What did your family think about your hair?
I have a 5-year old daughter. When she saw me, she kind of hesitated just to make sure I wasn’t some stranger and then she ran to me and the first thing out of her mouth was, “Mommy, was it you that cut your hair or did the show cut your hair?” [laughs] I was just like, they did. I was a little worried about what my fiance -- I had just gotten engaged and I was a little worried at what he thought. But he said he loved it and didn’t mind, so that made me feel a little more comfortable.
Did any of the other women intimidate you?
I have to be honest. Raina’s face is so amazing, so striking, that when I first met her in L.A. I was very intimidated by her. That doesn’t mean I’m going to hate on her or be rude to her. If anything, I want to be close to her. I don’t know. I’m just like that. But, yeah, I was extremely intimidated by Raina’s face and Jessica’s age. She’s 18 and full of life. It made me feel a little more mature. But, yeah, of course I was intimidated by a couple of the girls. But you can’t show it.
What was life like with Angelea constantly pushing your buttons?
I’m really a patient, patient person. Like you saw, I would be in the kitchen just eating my yogurt or talking to one of the girls, and she would see us talking and just interrupt and be like, “How does it feel to be bottom two, Brenda and Raina?” And just make really unnecessary comments. I do have a backbone and I’m going to stand up for myself. Ever since Day One, she has been really intimidated by me. I think that’s a compliment, right? [laughs]
How do you feel about "Team Brenda" having to go without their captain?
I did worry for them, only because Jessica is so nice and she’s very naive and innocent. I just think that Angelea is going to take advantage of me not being there to help them out. I worry for them. I don’t know. We’ll see.
Simone had a very similar "Ty-over" to yours and she felt it really gave people the wrong impression. Did you feel that way?
Yeah, and I think it’s unfair of people to assume just because somebody forces, well not forces but decides a haircut for you, that you have to naturally say, OK, I’m throwing out all my dresses. I’m throwing out anything feminine or girly. I’m going to be the punk rocker moshing. Even Sally Hershberger told me if I don’t wash my hair for a couple of days it would look better. She goes, “The grunge look.” And I just died, because that’s not me. I like to be clean.
You were very confident after your final shoot, yet you were eliminated. What made you feel that it went so well?
I did feel very confident about the shoot. They didn’t show it because they didn’t have time, but Jay was like, “Wow. You came in with a great energy. You’re awake today.” He gave me such great feedback that when I went back to the house I felt so confident and calm. I thought I had it in the bag. I just feel like when Tyra cut my hair she wanted me to assume this edgy, fierce, a lot tougher personality than let’s say the girly. It just didn’t match. I did my best and they just figured they’d give Alasia another chance. Yeah, I was definitely really, really shocked.
The judges kept saying that you photographed older. Have you been able to figure out what they meant by that?
At first I was like, what do you mean? I think here’s the problem. When I had the long hair, in my opinion, I felt very girly and young and fresh. Then, when they cut it off, shorter hair is always going to be a more mature look. I felt as soon as I got that short hair, I automatically felt five years older. I can’t help it, because I was given that haircut. As far as my bones, I don’t know. Tyra has always said I have amazing bone structure in my cheeks and I had great lips. So I think it’s just a matter of opinion, and I’m in the middle of growing out my hair to chin length and we’re just going to see what clients think of it. I’m excited to find out everybody’s input in the fashion industry.
Who are your top three contestants for the win?
Of course I have to go with Raina, because she has the most amazing face. Since Day One, she really hasn’t had a bad picture. And then I’m also really rooting for Alexandra, because she’s the only plus-sized model and I know she has to work harder than other girls. I would say Jessica too. She’s really killing it in her photos and she has the personality to match the photo. She’s a great person inside. Those three are my top picks.
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'America's Next Top Model': Anslee on Alasia, 'She doesn't know who she is'
Anslee, the former pageant girl and married mother of one, was eliminated last week on “America’s Next Top Model.” She may have had one of the harshest elimination episodes we’ve seen this cycle.
In the drag queen runway challenge, she says the show made it look as if not one audience member clapped for her. In the elimination, Tyra Banks told her she might be more suited to beauty modeling, which means only taking close-up pictures from the chest up. Ouch.
Anslee says she’s still working on her modeling career and she already has a couple of local offers on the table. At any rate, the Dacula, Ga., native would have loved to have had just a little more time on the show.
“There’s always those little things where you wish you had more time in certain areas to ask more questions or learn a little bit more,” Anslee says. “But, overall, it taught me a little bit more about the industry and what it wants from girls these days.”
What was it like competing on the show while being away from your daughter?
I didn’t just do it for myself. I did it for her, so I kind of just kept that in my mind and kept thinking that it will only last so long and then I’ll be back with her soon. It wasn’t as bad as it looked like on TV.
So, you still think it was worth it?
Oh, yes, completely. The first time the show aired, that right there made it all worthwhile. [My daughter] was completely mesmerized.
Who did you get along with the most?
Krista and Alexandra, I was actually friends with them. I still talk to Alexandra probably once or twice a week. I haven’t been able to get a hold of Krista lately, but people have their lives that they go back to. But, yeah, those were my buddies.
Who were your least favorite women in the house?
I wouldn’t say I had any least favorites. Of course, I had confrontations with certain people. You know I’m one of those people that believe everyone is different and they're different for a reason. If we were all alike the world would be quite a boring place. I didn’t really get a long with Brenda that much, because she whined a lot. And I just thought she thought her problems were worse than anybody else’s and it’s a little frustrating to hear her whine about her hair all the time. I mean you weren’t the only person who got their hair cut off.
That’s true. She did talk to me a lot about her hair.
Well, I think she’s the kind of girl that gets stuck on ‘this isn’t my personality’ and ‘this isn’t who I am.’ Modeling is not about who you are, but who you can portray you are.
Earlier in the season, didn’t you have a run-in with Alasia?
Yes, I did. That’s another thing where TV plays it up a little more. I went back and apologized to her and told her I was sorry for yelling at her. I explained to her why that set me off the way it did. Sometimes the way she acts and the way she says things don’t really go off well with others. I’m one of those who believe that if you have something to say to me, say it to my face. Don’t say it when you’re 10 feet down the hallway away from me. She’s young and the more I watched her, the more I started to understand that about her. She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know who she wants to be. I remember being 18 years old. It wasn’t that long ago. I don’t think she really thinks before she opens her mouth.
When you left the house, Alexandra was feeling down. Do you know why?
She was just feeling the pressure. There is a lot of pressure and there is a lot of stress and a lot of emotional stuff that maybe you’ve never been through in your life, but you start going through there. People are picking you apart and people don’t deal so well with that. She was like me. I went through that at one point. I didn’t go through it as bad as she did. It’s when you’re sitting there thinking I haven’t won anything, I haven’t gotten best picture, I haven’t won a challenge. And you start getting down on yourself. I think she’s like me in that she has a close-knit family and when that happens you’re used to your family stepping in and picking you up. And there wasn’t anyone there to do that for her. I think that made it even harder for her. She’ll pull through it. She’s a strong-willed person.
A lot of plus-size models start well, but then hit a rough patch after not fitting in the costumes or having less dresses to pick from. Do you think that had anything to do with Alexandra’s mood?
Even me not being a plus-size model, the clothes didn’t fit me. I mean I’m busty, but I’m not a plus-size model. That was something that I fought with just as well. If there’s anything that anybody should realize about Alexandra is that she is one of the most comfortable people with her body. That’s one of the most comfortable girls in her own skin that I’ve seen in a long time.
In the last episode, you didn’t do too well in your drag catwalk. What happened there?
That’s so funny, because it was so dramatized. It wasn’t that bad. Do you honestly think that I would have stood there with my arms in the air and not a single person in there was clapping for me? I mean, come on. That’s a little extreme.
So, you’re saying the show took some editing liberties with that scene?
Yes. I’m not saying that people clapped and clapped and clapped for me, but how funny would it look if I did moderately OK at a challenge and then I get eliminated the same night. That would look pretty weird. You’ve got to kind of remember that when you’re watching the show.
Before you were eliminated, Tyra said you might be more of a beauty model. How did you feel about that?
You know it’s like that double-sided compliment, because you never know what somebody really means. On the one hand, it’s a great thing. On the other hand, it’s terrible. It’s like saying yep, you’re beautiful and someone can use you for a makeup campaign, but the rest of your body sucks. I didn’t take it as bad, because she said she was looking forward to the one-on-one photo shoot with me. I don’t think it was a bad thing. I think it was a way to say, "You just have to work on your poses and you’d be more apt to being a complete model."
Who are your top three picks for the win?
Of course, I would say Alexandra and Krista, because they’re my buddies. Realistically, it’s going to be anywhere between Krista, Raina and Alasia. Alasia, because she’s favored. Raina, because she’s absolutely gorgeous and she takes fabulous pictures. The only downfall is her pictures look the same a lot, if you’ll notice. And Krista, because she’s coming out of her shell and in the next couple of shows, she’s really going to show everybody what she’s capable of.
source
The “America’s Next Top Model” house is definitely missing a den mother with Brenda leaving the show last week. With the house divided into two groups in the last episode, I called one “Team Brenda” and the other “Team Angelea.”
“Angelea really did try to stir the pot,” says Brenda, 23. “I’m really patient, but if you keep pushing, as you saw, everybody saw a different side of me and I just finally snapped.”
House drama wasn’t Brenda’s only problem. She not only got one horrific "Ty-over," but two. And it seemed she never quite bounced back from them.
How did you feel about your "Ty-overs"?
On the first makeover, it did take me a day or two. When you’ve had long hair for so long, you know, you’re in shock. I realized, OK, I’m not going home over this. Then, Tyra said in my pictures, I still wasn’t showing the right amount of fierceness with the edgy haircut. Then, I got my second makeover. I liked my first one a lot better than my second. So, when I got my second one, I was just like, oh no! The buzzed sides looked great on Simone, but I wasn’t embracing it like I should have.
What did your family think about your hair?
I have a 5-year old daughter. When she saw me, she kind of hesitated just to make sure I wasn’t some stranger and then she ran to me and the first thing out of her mouth was, “Mommy, was it you that cut your hair or did the show cut your hair?” [laughs] I was just like, they did. I was a little worried about what my fiance -- I had just gotten engaged and I was a little worried at what he thought. But he said he loved it and didn’t mind, so that made me feel a little more comfortable.
Did any of the other women intimidate you?
I have to be honest. Raina’s face is so amazing, so striking, that when I first met her in L.A. I was very intimidated by her. That doesn’t mean I’m going to hate on her or be rude to her. If anything, I want to be close to her. I don’t know. I’m just like that. But, yeah, I was extremely intimidated by Raina’s face and Jessica’s age. She’s 18 and full of life. It made me feel a little more mature. But, yeah, of course I was intimidated by a couple of the girls. But you can’t show it.
What was life like with Angelea constantly pushing your buttons?
I’m really a patient, patient person. Like you saw, I would be in the kitchen just eating my yogurt or talking to one of the girls, and she would see us talking and just interrupt and be like, “How does it feel to be bottom two, Brenda and Raina?” And just make really unnecessary comments. I do have a backbone and I’m going to stand up for myself. Ever since Day One, she has been really intimidated by me. I think that’s a compliment, right? [laughs]
How do you feel about "Team Brenda" having to go without their captain?
I did worry for them, only because Jessica is so nice and she’s very naive and innocent. I just think that Angelea is going to take advantage of me not being there to help them out. I worry for them. I don’t know. We’ll see.
Simone had a very similar "Ty-over" to yours and she felt it really gave people the wrong impression. Did you feel that way?
Yeah, and I think it’s unfair of people to assume just because somebody forces, well not forces but decides a haircut for you, that you have to naturally say, OK, I’m throwing out all my dresses. I’m throwing out anything feminine or girly. I’m going to be the punk rocker moshing. Even Sally Hershberger told me if I don’t wash my hair for a couple of days it would look better. She goes, “The grunge look.” And I just died, because that’s not me. I like to be clean.
You were very confident after your final shoot, yet you were eliminated. What made you feel that it went so well?
I did feel very confident about the shoot. They didn’t show it because they didn’t have time, but Jay was like, “Wow. You came in with a great energy. You’re awake today.” He gave me such great feedback that when I went back to the house I felt so confident and calm. I thought I had it in the bag. I just feel like when Tyra cut my hair she wanted me to assume this edgy, fierce, a lot tougher personality than let’s say the girly. It just didn’t match. I did my best and they just figured they’d give Alasia another chance. Yeah, I was definitely really, really shocked.
The judges kept saying that you photographed older. Have you been able to figure out what they meant by that?
At first I was like, what do you mean? I think here’s the problem. When I had the long hair, in my opinion, I felt very girly and young and fresh. Then, when they cut it off, shorter hair is always going to be a more mature look. I felt as soon as I got that short hair, I automatically felt five years older. I can’t help it, because I was given that haircut. As far as my bones, I don’t know. Tyra has always said I have amazing bone structure in my cheeks and I had great lips. So I think it’s just a matter of opinion, and I’m in the middle of growing out my hair to chin length and we’re just going to see what clients think of it. I’m excited to find out everybody’s input in the fashion industry.
Who are your top three contestants for the win?
Of course I have to go with Raina, because she has the most amazing face. Since Day One, she really hasn’t had a bad picture. And then I’m also really rooting for Alexandra, because she’s the only plus-sized model and I know she has to work harder than other girls. I would say Jessica too. She’s really killing it in her photos and she has the personality to match the photo. She’s a great person inside. Those three are my top picks.
source
'America's Next Top Model': Anslee on Alasia, 'She doesn't know who she is'
Anslee, the former pageant girl and married mother of one, was eliminated last week on “America’s Next Top Model.” She may have had one of the harshest elimination episodes we’ve seen this cycle.
In the drag queen runway challenge, she says the show made it look as if not one audience member clapped for her. In the elimination, Tyra Banks told her she might be more suited to beauty modeling, which means only taking close-up pictures from the chest up. Ouch.
Anslee says she’s still working on her modeling career and she already has a couple of local offers on the table. At any rate, the Dacula, Ga., native would have loved to have had just a little more time on the show.
“There’s always those little things where you wish you had more time in certain areas to ask more questions or learn a little bit more,” Anslee says. “But, overall, it taught me a little bit more about the industry and what it wants from girls these days.”
What was it like competing on the show while being away from your daughter?
I didn’t just do it for myself. I did it for her, so I kind of just kept that in my mind and kept thinking that it will only last so long and then I’ll be back with her soon. It wasn’t as bad as it looked like on TV.
So, you still think it was worth it?
Oh, yes, completely. The first time the show aired, that right there made it all worthwhile. [My daughter] was completely mesmerized.
Who did you get along with the most?
Krista and Alexandra, I was actually friends with them. I still talk to Alexandra probably once or twice a week. I haven’t been able to get a hold of Krista lately, but people have their lives that they go back to. But, yeah, those were my buddies.
Who were your least favorite women in the house?
I wouldn’t say I had any least favorites. Of course, I had confrontations with certain people. You know I’m one of those people that believe everyone is different and they're different for a reason. If we were all alike the world would be quite a boring place. I didn’t really get a long with Brenda that much, because she whined a lot. And I just thought she thought her problems were worse than anybody else’s and it’s a little frustrating to hear her whine about her hair all the time. I mean you weren’t the only person who got their hair cut off.
That’s true. She did talk to me a lot about her hair.
Well, I think she’s the kind of girl that gets stuck on ‘this isn’t my personality’ and ‘this isn’t who I am.’ Modeling is not about who you are, but who you can portray you are.
Earlier in the season, didn’t you have a run-in with Alasia?
Yes, I did. That’s another thing where TV plays it up a little more. I went back and apologized to her and told her I was sorry for yelling at her. I explained to her why that set me off the way it did. Sometimes the way she acts and the way she says things don’t really go off well with others. I’m one of those who believe that if you have something to say to me, say it to my face. Don’t say it when you’re 10 feet down the hallway away from me. She’s young and the more I watched her, the more I started to understand that about her. She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know who she wants to be. I remember being 18 years old. It wasn’t that long ago. I don’t think she really thinks before she opens her mouth.
When you left the house, Alexandra was feeling down. Do you know why?
She was just feeling the pressure. There is a lot of pressure and there is a lot of stress and a lot of emotional stuff that maybe you’ve never been through in your life, but you start going through there. People are picking you apart and people don’t deal so well with that. She was like me. I went through that at one point. I didn’t go through it as bad as she did. It’s when you’re sitting there thinking I haven’t won anything, I haven’t gotten best picture, I haven’t won a challenge. And you start getting down on yourself. I think she’s like me in that she has a close-knit family and when that happens you’re used to your family stepping in and picking you up. And there wasn’t anyone there to do that for her. I think that made it even harder for her. She’ll pull through it. She’s a strong-willed person.
A lot of plus-size models start well, but then hit a rough patch after not fitting in the costumes or having less dresses to pick from. Do you think that had anything to do with Alexandra’s mood?
Even me not being a plus-size model, the clothes didn’t fit me. I mean I’m busty, but I’m not a plus-size model. That was something that I fought with just as well. If there’s anything that anybody should realize about Alexandra is that she is one of the most comfortable people with her body. That’s one of the most comfortable girls in her own skin that I’ve seen in a long time.
In the last episode, you didn’t do too well in your drag catwalk. What happened there?
That’s so funny, because it was so dramatized. It wasn’t that bad. Do you honestly think that I would have stood there with my arms in the air and not a single person in there was clapping for me? I mean, come on. That’s a little extreme.
So, you’re saying the show took some editing liberties with that scene?
Yes. I’m not saying that people clapped and clapped and clapped for me, but how funny would it look if I did moderately OK at a challenge and then I get eliminated the same night. That would look pretty weird. You’ve got to kind of remember that when you’re watching the show.
Before you were eliminated, Tyra said you might be more of a beauty model. How did you feel about that?
You know it’s like that double-sided compliment, because you never know what somebody really means. On the one hand, it’s a great thing. On the other hand, it’s terrible. It’s like saying yep, you’re beautiful and someone can use you for a makeup campaign, but the rest of your body sucks. I didn’t take it as bad, because she said she was looking forward to the one-on-one photo shoot with me. I don’t think it was a bad thing. I think it was a way to say, "You just have to work on your poses and you’d be more apt to being a complete model."
Who are your top three picks for the win?
Of course, I would say Alexandra and Krista, because they’re my buddies. Realistically, it’s going to be anywhere between Krista, Raina and Alasia. Alasia, because she’s favored. Raina, because she’s absolutely gorgeous and she takes fabulous pictures. The only downfall is her pictures look the same a lot, if you’ll notice. And Krista, because she’s coming out of her shell and in the next couple of shows, she’s really going to show everybody what she’s capable of.
source