"Being Out Of My Comfort Zone Ended Up Actually Being the Hardest Part! " – An Interview with America's Next Top Model 7's Monique

Before I had a chance to talk to Monique, I went into the interview with two thoughts. I wasn’t sure if she was going to completely take responsibility for everything that she did in the house, or if she would have a “reason” for everything and have a justification for every action. Well, read on to find out which way things swung – I don’t think you’ll be too surprised.

RealityNewsOnline:Hey Monique! Thanks for taking time to talk with me today. Let’s get right to it – what happened with the attitude change from your time in the semi-finals to when you made it into the house?

Monique: I wasn’t the only girl that changed when we got into the house. Other girls changed too, and people began to realize that this is a competition. Everyone wanted to win and personalities changed as we realized there could only be one winner.

RNO:Had you watched previous seasons of the show? Did you realize you were doing things that would have you labeled as the villain?

Monique:I kind of knew that I would be labeled that way, but at the time it didn’t really seem that important. I had my mind set on things, and I was myself.

RNO:It was obvious that most of the other girls had a problem with you. Did any of them actually make it known to you, or was everyone nice to your face?

Monique: No, and actually, I got along with many of the other girls. I always talked to Eugena and CariDee. At certain times they were mad at me, but it was over little things, like the phone. However, once they realized that they were in the wrong, everything was cool again. There is so much you didn’t get to see, and it wasn’t always me causing the trouble.

RNO:Some of your antics seemed a little over the top, specifically rubbing your bikini bottoms on Melrose’s sheets. Do you look back and regret doing things like that?

Monique: No, not really. To me, that was funny. At home, we run around all the time and do stupid little things like that. The whole thing was just taken too overboard. What you didn’t get to see was Melrose reading the Tyra Mail, and when I walked by, she coughed on me, and got spit on me. So I got out of the hot and with water dripping off me, I flicked it on her. That’s when she goes around telling everyone that I had cooties. Not very mature, but that was Melrose.

RNO:Did you have any modeling experience before applying for the show? Did you expect the show to be so demanding?

Monique: I did have some modeling experience before the show. However, I did expect and realize that the show was going to be very demanding, and that we would have to do some unconventional shoots. That being said, I assumed that my persistence in modeling would help me have an edge.

RNO:Do you feel that not competing in the photo shoot was the main reason that you were eliminated, or were the judges right when they said you were beginning to lose interest?

Monique:Oh, it was definitely because I didn’t do the photo shoot. I really wanted to, and I loved the concept of the shoot. However, my body just wouldn’t let me do it physically. Something would have seriously went wrong had I done the shoot. I couldn’t even lift my head, and the doctor told me to take it very easy, so I think had I done a walk on that runway, I would have fell in and been the first girl to ever drown on the show. I would have just been taking too big a risk.

RNO:Have you talked to any of the other girls or made amends for things that went on in the house since the show has ended? Do you even want to?

Monique:No, I haven’t really talked to any of the girls, and I don’t really care too – especially Melrose. Personally, I don’t plan on going up to her and saying hello when I see her, acting like everything is okay. She’s in her own little world, and doesn’t like when people don’t act or do what she says. She’s just “one of those.”

RNO:What was your reasoning for taking Eugena’s bed on the first night? Was it more for camera time than anything else?

Monique:Listen, I’m from Chicago, and in my home, I had to sleep on air mattresses all the time. The one thing I was looking forward to was having a bed, and with only 11 beds and 13 girls, either way, someone was going to have a problem with the sleeping situation, and it ended up being me. I simply wanted that bed!