Interviews: America's Next Top Model 4: Elimination Interview with Tiffany

SpyRI writes, "22 year old Tiffany from Miami became the 5th contestant eliminated from UPN’s hit show, America’s Next Top Model. In the most dramatic episode yet, both Tiffany and Rebecca were eliminated, and Tiffany’s defeatist attitude made Tyra banks yell at her. In our talk today, Tiffany tells us what was going through her mind then, why this was her favorite episode, and how she and Tyra have become really close.

Hi Tiffany, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today!

Thank you for having me!

Wow. It was a crazy night. I went in to do the teleprompter thing, you know, and I was really stressed that week. Just kind of fed up with reality TV, and I didn’t give it my all. I acted like I didn’t care, and I was like "whatever". Tyra starts in, like "Do you want to go home?" and I’m looking at her, like "whatever, what ever". They really urged me on, "Tiffany, just try it," so I did it, and they claimed I nailed it, but while I was walking out, I said I was sick of being humiliated. What I said was that I was tired of being humiliated every week, but what I meant to say was, is that I was tired of humiliating myself every week. Like, one day I’m throwing up, and so on, and I just feel like I’m the wild child of the show! So we came back in for judging, and they looked at my picture, and I guess my memory is kinda ... I don’t know, I thought they liked that picture, but when I saw the show last night, I guess they didn’t. I’m not too sure about that. But Tyra... it was down to me and Rebecca, and then this blank photo! And wow- my mind went to some place, like is she serious? Is this really what she wants to do? And then the girls started crying, bawling all out, and it was all Oprah, again. So I was like, girls, don’t worry, don’t cry, it’s all going to be ok, I’m fine, stop crying about me, and giving them all hugs and kisses, and then Tyra must have just been sick of me, sick of my attitude and couldn’t take it anymore. So she said can I have you two come back in the middle. I thought she’d changed her mind, because I was being so ok with it that she wanted to give me another chance. Boy, was I wrong. She let me have it. Put me in my place, and I’m not used to people doing that to me... She went off.

No, my Momma paid for the anger management classes. I don’t know, I don’t understand it. I kept wondering to myself, why me? Why me, this girl from Miami? To get picked for the 3rd and 4th seasons of this show? It made me turn to look in the mirror and see that I actually worked it.. You know, on the show, on the tape, I didn’t feel like I was worth it at the time. Now I’m looking back and thinking, you know, maybe this is what I can do. No, this is what I can do. This is what I’m going to do. I just think that she saw all the potential in the world in me, and I just wasn’t giving her enough oomph, you know, oomph.

She... Surprisingly, it was her favorite episode... mine too! Like, I don’t understand it, but it was my favorite episode. It was funny, it made you laugh, and it made you cry, my grandma was just like oh my god. A lot of people, like my cousins, I’m not going to lie to you, my cousins were like "I can’t stand her!" but my Grandma, she said "Tyra loves you," and she’s been calling me all the time, so it just shows passion, it wasn’t phony. A lot of people say "oh it was staged", but it wasn’t. It came from the heart. To know that you can get that into her heart to make her want to yell at you, that you’re not trying, that really touched me, and I started crying watching the tape! That episode was the best, for so many reasons, and the worst, for so many reasons.

God, I hate to admit, this, but Keenyah knows the most, about the business. In the apartment, with the girls, we’d read all the magazines together, and go through them, quiz each other on certain things, but we were so caught up in taping and being sen on TV that we just kind of let reality TV take over how we were- we didn’t let out glory shine, we let the TV glory shine. Keenyah knows her stuff, I hate to admit that, but she knows her stuff.

Well, I could live without... no, just kidding. Me, I’m difficult to live with. If they could live with me, I could live with them. Me and Brittany, we... couldn’t live together, because we would get too wild. Me and Keenyah couldn’t live together, because sometimes I just don’t like her. And the rest of them were ok! The easiest to live with would be Lluvy. Brandy? I would love to live with Brandy the most, but Lluvy would be the easiest.

You know, I felt like, once this came out of my mouth, and I said "Tyra, I’m looking ghetto", and from that point on, that’s what everybody saw, me being ghetto, and no matter what I could have done,. it was nothing I could have changed. Like Nole? Every episode, he said "Oh, she’s ghetto", everything was ghetto. I don’t know about those pictures, I don’t know at all. Pictures I thought were good they didn’t like, pictures they loved, I hated, I don’t know, it’s weird in there!

I’m not sure, I’m not sure. To be honest, I think if I were the one to go through and pick them, I would probably pick different ones, but I may pick them for all the wrong reasons. They know what they want, they know what the industry is about, and what sells. I probably would pick out something where I looked cute, and it wouldn’t be edgy enough... In some pictures maybe my face was cuter but my body wasn’t as good, so maybe they pick for what you’re selling...I feel like they pick it to the best of their ability. I don’t feel like I was sabotaged at all.

Yes. Tyra’s my mentor, I just can’t wait to bust into this industry.

You had a lot of experiences during this show that you said were new to you. What did you enjoy the most and the least? Did you like the tuna tartare?

I didn’t eat much there... Like, at home, I had a refrigerator full of lunchables that I was eating. I didn’t eat much on the show! Like when we went to, I think it was Ashton Kutcher’s restaurant, ewwww! The stuff was looking back at me! It was horrible! So I was like, no, mm-mm. The stuff was raw, not fried or cooked or anything. No. Sushi. No. I like my Lunchables, a whole lot, ham Lunchables.

(laughs) Lunchables and beer!

Oh my God I was thrilled! You know I cried for everything, so you know I cried when I got to see him! But then a week went by, and I missed the show! I was like, please, tyra, please. I thought once the show was over, I wouldn’t miss it, but I miss so many things about it.

Oh, more than ever. Tyra calls me maybe like once, twice a week. She’s my homegirl.

Yes, for now, I don’t live too far from South Beach, there’s a lot going on here. I can go to a couple of agencies and see if they want me, see where it goes from there.

Thank you!

Tiffany didn’t quite make the cut last season, but she tried again with her temper in check, and made it into the final fourteen. Tyra was very obviously pulling for her, but things went downhill for Tiffany, culminating in a surprising outburst from Tyra this week during Tiffany’s elimination.

Hi Tiffany! Besides the anger management classes, how did you manage to turn yourself around so well and so quickly?

I don’t think I was that angry! Last season there was that one incident, but really I’m not that angry, and I wasn’t that angry. I mean, let someone throw beer all over you and see how angry you are! If I were going around beating everyone up, then you could say I was angry.

I did have issues from a long time ago, things I’ve seen and lived through, but I was angry and happy. The anger management helped, maybe a bit too much though. The classes made me angrier actually. What really helped me was the support of my friends and family.

The angry impression just comes from them (ANTM) showing the same clips over and over and over again. Get over it!

What was your inspiration to try out for the show again, after not making it last season?

My Grandma. She’s been watching the show since the very first season, and I’d be like there’s no way I’m watching that, those women are all up in each other’s faces and stuff. She wanted me to try out for the show. I didn’t want to, but my Grandma was telling me that she was taking my butt down there anyway, so I went. Seems that everything I did to not be like the people on the show was what got me on the show.

What was going through your mind when Tyra was shouting at you during the elimination?

What was going through my head right at that moment? “Punch Tyra!” That’s what was going through my head. That’s all that was going through my head! But then there was also a little voice saying, “Don’t punch Tyra”, so that’s the one I listened to.

The whole thing was crazy, but watching it on television, it touched me. She was yelling at me because she cared about me. It was like a mom being upset with her daughter. I have a lot of respect for her, she really did care.

Do you think there was some truth to what Tyra was saying, or do you feel that she misunderstood your reaction?

I think I was misunderstood. I’m still misunderstood by so many people. That episode and the ones before it were so focused on the “I quit” thing. I never really wanted to quit the competition, it was always meant to be funny. If I really wanted to quit I would have walked out, that’s it.

When I was leaving and saying goodbye, you know, when Tyra called us back, I thought maybe she was going to let me stay. Tyra was already stressed out, and then she had all these girls who weren’t doing so well. So I understand where she was coming from.

Have you been in touch with Tyra since then?

Yes! Oh yes. Tyra and her Mom call me at least twice a week. They’re my mentors. They just want to check in and see how I’m doing. Tyra’s my homegirl.

How has your family reacted to seeing what you went through on television?

Well! My Mom and Grandma are taking it the easiest. They know that Tyra did what she did because she cared. But my cousins and my aunties are like, “She did NOT scream at you like that!”

You know, my Mom would have done the same thing. She would have been emotional like Tyra was.

You were very emotional when Brandy left. Have you been in touch with her at all?

Now yet. Brandy and I have been playing telephone tag. She’s talked to my Grandma and my Momma, and I’m always running out the door when she calls, or I’m out somewhere. And then I’ll call her back and it’s busy – Brandy likes to talk. I haven’t talked to Rebecca either, and I’d love to talk to that girl. Lluvy too.

Did it surprise you to hear that all of the judges were rooting for you?

Well now, I don’t like to call people liars, you know, but it was Tyra that was rooting for me. Period. That evil woman Janice was NOT rooting for me at all! And Nole and Nigel, they were definitely not rooting for me. I think if it were all up to Tyra I’d still be there every week, but the other ones, no way. That Boris (God he’s gorgeous) liked me, but not the rest of them.

What are you doing now? Will you be able to continue modeling soon, once your contract with ANTM is up, and is that something you’d like to pursue?

I’m not sure, I was just eliminated so I don’t know about the contracts and stuff yet. But I will definitely continue modeling.

If they do an “ANTM All-Star” cycle, would you do it all over again?

Yeah! Um, no. Well, yeah. No. It depends on who’s there, I mean if it’s Brandy and Rebecca and Lluvy, then yeah. But some of these other people, no way. Hopefully by then I’ll be modeling anyway, so I wouldn’t even have to consider it.

So no more reality TV for you?

No! No more reality TV for me! No way!

Thanks for your time Tiffany, and best of luck to you!

Thanks!
Tiffany didn’t quite make the cut last season, but she tried again with her temper in check, and made it into the final fourteen. Tyra was very obviously pulling for her, but things went downhill for Tiffany, culminating in a surprising outburst from Tyra this week during Tiffany’s elimination.

Hi Tiffany! Besides the anger management classes, how did you manage to turn yourself around so well and so quickly?

I don’t think I was that angry! Last season there was that one incident, but really I’m not that angry, and I wasn’t that angry. I mean, let someone throw beer all over you and see how angry you are! If I were going around beating everyone up, then you could say I was angry.

I did have issues from a long time ago, things I’ve seen and lived through, but I was angry and happy. The anger management helped, maybe a bit too much though. The classes made me angrier actually. What really helped me was the support of my friends and family.

The angry impression just comes from them (ANTM) showing the same clips over and over and over again. Get over it!

What was your inspiration to try out for the show again, after not making it last season?

My Grandma. She’s been watching the show since the very first season, and I’d be like there’s no way I’m watching that, those women are all up in each other’s faces and stuff. She wanted me to try out for the show. I didn’t want to, but my Grandma was telling me that she was taking my butt down there anyway, so I went. Seems that everything I did to not be like the people on the show was what got me on the show.

What was going through your mind when Tyra was shouting at you during the elimination?

What was going through my head right at that moment? “Punch Tyra!” That’s what was going through my head. That’s all that was going through my head! But then there was also a little voice saying, “Don’t punch Tyra”, so that’s the one I listened to.

The whole thing was crazy, but watching it on television, it touched me. She was yelling at me because she cared about me. It was like a mom being upset with her daughter. I have a lot of respect for her, she really did care.

Do you think there was some truth to what Tyra was saying, or do you feel that she misunderstood your reaction?

I think I was misunderstood. I’m still misunderstood by so many people. That episode and the ones before it were so focused on the “I quit” thing. I never really wanted to quit the competition, it was always meant to be funny. If I really wanted to quit I would have walked out, that’s it.

When I was leaving and saying goodbye, you know, when Tyra called us back, I thought maybe she was going to let me stay. Tyra was already stressed out, and then she had all these girls who weren’t doing so well. So I understand where she was coming from.

Have you been in touch with Tyra since then?

Yes! Oh yes. Tyra and her Mom call me at least twice a week. They’re my mentors. They just want to check in and see how I’m doing. Tyra’s my homegirl.

How has your family reacted to seeing what you went through on television?

Well! My Mom and Grandma are taking it the easiest. They know that Tyra did what she did because she cared. But my cousins and my aunties are like, “She did NOT scream at you like that!”

You know, my Mom would have done the same thing. She would have been emotional like Tyra was.

You were very emotional when Brandy left. Have you been in touch with her at all?

Now yet. Brandy and I have been playing telephone tag. She’s talked to my Grandma and my Momma, and I’m always running out the door when she calls, or I’m out somewhere. And then I’ll call her back and it’s busy – Brandy likes to talk. I haven’t talked to Rebecca either, and I’d love to talk to that girl. Lluvy too.

Did it surprise you to hear that all of the judges were rooting for you?

Well now, I don’t like to call people liars, you know, but it was Tyra that was rooting for me. Period. That evil woman Janice was NOT rooting for me at all! And Nole and Nigel, they were definitely not rooting for me. I think if it were all up to Tyra I’d still be there every week, but the other ones, no way. That Boris (God he’s gorgeous) liked me, but not the rest of them.

What are you doing now? Will you be able to continue modeling soon, once your contract with ANTM is up, and is that something you’d like to pursue?

I’m not sure, I was just eliminated so I don’t know about the contracts and stuff yet. But I will definitely continue modeling.

If they do an “ANTM All-Star” cycle, would you do it all over again?

Yeah! Um, no. Well, yeah. No. It depends on who’s there, I mean if it’s Brandy and Rebecca and Lluvy, then yeah. But some of these other people, no way. Hopefully by then I’ll be modeling anyway, so I wouldn’t even have to consider it.

So no more reality TV for you?

No! No more reality TV for me! No way!

Thanks for your time Tiffany, and best of luck to you!

Thanks!Tiffany didn’t quite make the cut last season, but she tried again with her temper in check, and made it into the final fourteen. Tyra was very obviously pulling for her, but things went downhill for Tiffany, culminating in a surprising outburst from Tyra this week during Tiffany’s elimination.

Hi Tiffany! Besides the anger management classes, how did you manage to turn yourself around so well and so quickly?

I don’t think I was that angry! Last season there was that one incident, but really I’m not that angry, and I wasn’t that angry. I mean, let someone throw beer all over you and see how angry you are! If I were going around beating everyone up, then you could say I was angry.

I did have issues from a long time ago, things I’ve seen and lived through, but I was angry and happy. The anger management helped, maybe a bit too much though. The classes made me angrier actually. What really helped me was the support of my friends and family.

The angry impression just comes from them (ANTM) showing the same clips over and over and over again. Get over it!

What was your inspiration to try out for the show again, after not making it last season?

My Grandma. She’s been watching the show since the very first season, and I’d be like there’s no way I’m watching that, those women are all up in each other’s faces and stuff. She wanted me to try out for the show. I didn’t want to, but my Grandma was telling me that she was taking my butt down there anyway, so I went. Seems that everything I did to not be like the people on the show was what got me on the show.

What was going through your mind when Tyra was shouting at you during the elimination?

What was going through my head right at that moment? “Punch Tyra!” That’s what was going through my head. That’s all that was going through my head! But then there was also a little voice saying, “Don’t punch Tyra”, so that’s the one I listened to.

The whole thing was crazy, but watching it on television, it touched me. She was yelling at me because she cared about me. It was like a mom being upset with her daughter. I have a lot of respect for her, she really did care.

Do you think there was some truth to what Tyra was saying, or do you feel that she misunderstood your reaction?

I think I was misunderstood. I’m still misunderstood by so many people. That episode and the ones before it were so focused on the “I quit” thing. I never really wanted to quit the competition, it was always meant to be funny. If I really wanted to quit I would have walked out, that’s it.

When I was leaving and saying goodbye, you know, when Tyra called us back, I thought maybe she was going to let me stay. Tyra was already stressed out, and then she had all these girls who weren’t doing so well. So I understand where she was coming from.

Have you been in touch with Tyra since then?

Yes! Oh yes. Tyra and her Mom call me at least twice a week. They’re my mentors. They just want to check in and see how I’m doing. Tyra’s my homegirl.

How has your family reacted to seeing what you went through on television?

Well! My Mom and Grandma are taking it the easiest. They know that Tyra did what she did because she cared. But my cousins and my aunties are like, “She did NOT scream at you like that!”

You know, my Mom would have done the same thing. She would have been emotional like Tyra was.

You were very emotional when Brandy left. Have you been in touch with her at all?

Now yet. Brandy and I have been playing telephone tag. She’s talked to my Grandma and my Momma, and I’m always running out the door when she calls, or I’m out somewhere. And then I’ll call her back and it’s busy – Brandy likes to talk. I haven’t talked to Rebecca either, and I’d love to talk to that girl. Lluvy too.

Did it surprise you to hear that all of the judges were rooting for you?

Well now, I don’t like to call people liars, you know, but it was Tyra that was rooting for me. Period. That evil woman Janice was NOT rooting for me at all! And Nole and Nigel, they were definitely not rooting for me. I think if it were all up to Tyra I’d still be there every week, but the other ones, no way. That Boris (God he’s gorgeous) liked me, but not the rest of them.

What are you doing now? Will you be able to continue modeling soon, once your contract with ANTM is up, and is that something you’d like to pursue?

I’m not sure, I was just eliminated so I don’t know about the contracts and stuff yet. But I will definitely continue modeling.

If they do an “ANTM All-Star” cycle, would you do it all over again?

Yeah! Um, no. Well, yeah. No. It depends on who’s there, I mean if it’s Brandy and Rebecca and Lluvy, then yeah. But some of these other people, no way. Hopefully by then I’ll be modeling anyway, so I wouldn’t even have to consider it.

So no more reality TV for you?

No! No more reality TV for me! No way!

Thanks for your time Tiffany, and best of luck to you!

Thanks!