The Celebreality Interview - Hoopz

Hoopz takes the cash! Bizarrely, staying loyal and steering clear of drama on reality TV yielded a huge reward — how often does that happen? Below, VH1’s 2 for 2 reality champ talks about what she’s going to do with the $250,000, Real’s proposal, sexual tension with Whiteboy and why she hated the results of the shoot she did with King.

You’re 2 for 2 in reality show victory. You’ve found your art.

Haha, the art of winning. It’s crazy! I still don’t believe it! It’s awesome, I’ve come out a winner both times. But would I do another challenge show? No.

Really?

Hell no. I will host something, but I’m not doing another contestant show. It’s like when you go to Vegas and you hit big — the question is, do I bet it all or do I keep what I just made? I know when to stop. I am coming out a winner. I’m not going to go on another show for more money and not come out a winner. I have to live with myself and I know how I am. My own show? Of course I’ll do it. A hosting gig? Of course I’ll do it. Another contestant show? Nah. Don’t think so. I want to go out on top.

Do you have a sense of elevated reality TV status, having won twice?

No. Because if I were conceited and had a big head going into the show it would have played different. I was just going to try my best and never give up. I never really talked about the money. I was in denial when I did win. So I am completely grounded about it. $250,000 is a lot of money but there’s more out there. I’m saving it all.

It seems like the rule for reality TV is you make drama and you stay on. Yet you sort of go against that and you still won — you consistently stay out of the drama.

I just breezed through. And when I was scared, that’s when I messed up. The balcony-throw challenge was horrible. I was so terrified of the heights. But most physical challenges were easy. I didn’t have a strategy coming in. I don’t get involved in all that stuff. We were the realest people in the house. Real was who I chose to be close to. We bonded and clicked and became alliances and that was it.

What about Pumpkin? She seemed like she felt kind of betrayed.

She feels betrayed? Well, she’s in denial. A lot of people get it twisted because they’re like, “You sent home Pumkin, but you saved Megan twice?” Megan was never affiliated with our alliance at the beginning and if she wanted me out, Real out, Chance out, whatever, she was playing the game. And OK, this is what you’re supposed to do to save yourself. But when she did become affiliated with our alliance she never went against us. She had our backs. Pumpkin, on the other hand, was in our alliance from the beginning and she turned on us. She’s easily manipulated and she just wanted to look cool on TV because she got rid of Chance. And from that point, that was in the back of all our heads. We were gonna get her one way or another.

So does that mean that you respect Meagan?

Yeah, I love her. She hasn’t done anything to me.

She never said a bad word about you, which is remarkable. She never talked s*** about you on the interviews.

Whiteboy had a lot do to with that. Then she saved me and I saved her. It was kind of easy to see who was fake and the house. When you look at us within our alliance we were the realest people in the house.

So, Real proposed to you without so much as kissing you. That was weird.

We got really close. We have chemistry. You don’t have to have sex to know that it’s a connection. Everyone’s looking at him like he’s crazy but if you connect with somebody it doesn’t always have to be physical. In the long run, it lasts longer. We didn’t have to kiss to know we have a connection. Or, you know, hump and bump.

But it helps if you’re going to marry someone?

Everyone’s different. Nobody’s built the same. It’s our lives and no one else has to live it. So f*** everybody.

Real said that said you were worth more than the $250,000. Are you guys still really tight?

We totally are [tight]. He took it to a whole different level. He knew I had a boyfriend, but we never really talked about my personal life. But he took a chance, I think people should take chances. You never know what can happen.

There was obviously surprise.

Yeah I have never been proposed to before. It’s not just a normal thing that happens. Especially since I was in a relationship. I was like, “Oh my god you’re crazy!” But he did what he did and we’re still the best of friends.

We never saw you say no. We saw the elimination, we saw after, but we never actually saw you say no.

I never actually did say no or yes. I felt like we had an understanding. I guess I had to say yes or no to the public but I didn’t really care about them.

What about the whole Whiteboy kink?

I guess it was made to look like a love triangle. Somehow I guess our alliance was supposed to be deteriorated. I don’t appreciate the way the last one was edited. It showed me in bed with Whiteboy, while in the midst of the conversation that Real and Chance were having, they called me a hoe. I don’t appreciate that. That s*** pissed me off. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m here to tell you the truth: there was a goddamn ghost in the house, which made me jump in the bed with Whiteboy. That’s why I was looking up at the ceiling scared to death. When they put that s*** together, it made me look horrible. I feel like they took all the class away, and made it seem like, after I got up from talking with Real about the proposal, I went into bed with Whiteboy. Look, I never f***ed or sucked Whiteboy on or off the show. Me and Real never had sex. I didn’t have to do any of that s*** to win $250,000.

So, the house was haunted?

Haunted ain’t the damn word. It was the evilest house ever. Even the owner told me, “I think I’m crazy sometimes and you’re the first person ever to come out and agree with my straight-up: the house is haunted.” And, like, evil-y haunted! Demons!

Although the conversation you had when Real sat you and Whiteboy down did seem weird. When he asked if you and Whiteboy were involved, you smirked.

Yes, I was smirking. Just like Whiteboy said, “She’s an attractive woman”…there was attraction there. But also, Whiteboy had been talking a lot of stuff about me. It was true, I believe Ahmad [Real]. It’s just a story in itself. There was more emotion involved than you saw on TV. That’s why at the elimination I was pissed, because I looked like a fool.

As a viewer, I didn’t think oh, Hoopz is a whore.

That’s just what I have to deal with. As a black female, that’s what I have to deal with in the business. I’m not aiming for a certain status level, I’m just a realist.

It’s kind of crazy that loyalty and good heartedness won out.

Yeah it was. And that was my thing: I always said that I wanted to go up against real people in the end and that way, whoever won would make me happy. And that’s what happened.

Do you have hard and fast plans with what you’re gonna do with the money?

Most of it I’m going to save and make it make more money, try to start an accessory line and whatever. My mom has no idea that I won, so I’m gonna surprise her and my sister and use it to take care of them.

Whats next for you?

Lord, who knows? Lots of things. So much is about to happen and I just take things as they come.

What about stuff like the King shoot? Did you like the final product?

No.

What? Tell me about it? You looked hot!

I don’t think so. I don’t consider myself a model. I have funny features. That’s just my personal thing. I was supposed to have approval on all my shots and they just went and used whatever. I was so unhappy with it. I’m glad I got the cover, but I hated the picture. There were so many better pictures. Hopefully, I’ll be able to redeem myself.

How are things with your boyfriend? Are you engaged?

No. [laughs] I don’t really talk about my personal life, but we’re doing great. He’s so supportive. He plays professional basketball and I do the entertainment thing, so we get each other.

Related content
I Love Money show page
I Love Money videos and extras

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 at 10:25 pm