America’s Next Top Model Eliminee… Alexandria 

Controlling Self 

By Belinda Trotter-James

Alexandria is the blonde hair, 5’10” 21 year old beauty from Newport Beach, California. She was the most hated girl in the house on Top Model. Usually you have at least one girl on your side, but Alexandria seemed to alienate all the girls. Was it something we did not see on the show? Were the girls wrong to hate her so much? Alexandria sets the record straight about that and why she felt the need to be so controlling on the photo shoot sets. Keep reading for all the answers and much more in our exclusive interview...

Have you ever met someone that is supposed to be the student but always directing everyone like they are the teacher?  That was the way Alexandria was portrayed on the show.  A director said that if she would have directed a director on a photo shoot in the real world, she would have been asked to leave on the spot.  “I wasn’t trying to direct,” starts Alexandria, “I saw something that needed to be fixed.  I did not want the girls to not know their angles for the shoot.  I went out on the ledge and got bit,” laughs Alexandria.   She also got in trouble on the set when she tried to control her camel when shooting in the desert.  “I don’t think I was directing the camel,” says Alexandria.  “I think someone told the photographer about me.  He already knew that I was controlling and told Mr. Jay who later told me that I was already warned about being so controlling,” remembers Alexandria.  She still does not think she was controlling; maybe just a little too helpful.  It’s just hard to believe that a girl with this much experience would take a chance and try to direct professionals. 

Now you know that when you are at a photo shoot, the crew does not need or want your help.  However, Alexandria insists that she was just applying techniques learned at other shoots.  “Instead of being an airhead, I was remembering everything.  I was trying to relate everything I want to do or already knew.  I’m wise beyond my years,” reveals Alexandria.

In almost every episode Alexandria managed to piss off one of the other contestants. What the heck? She did not appear to be annoying… Well at least the editing did not make her out to appear that way.  “A lot of people stay so negative. It’s the 21^st century. Can’t we just all get along?” starts Alexandria. “I guess these are lessons the girls have to learn from. If I did something they hated so much, they had 7 weeks to come to me and talk. No one ever said anything. I wanted them to say it to my face and not behind my back. None of them had the nerve to do it.”

The girls may have not had the balls to say anything negative or positive to Alexandria’s face but, they listened to her advice since she is more experienced than most of them in the house. “The girls or anyone else don’t understand what I’ve been through,” said Alexandria. She did not want to go through the entire story of what she had been through… “It may take a day to explain,” laughs Alexandria.  It’s good that she can laugh about it now. (Whatever ‘it’ is.)  “I try to cement it into someone’s head that my way is the right way. It’s not a crime to be passionate about something you love to do. It’s about being relatable. If they wanted to understand me then we could have talked it out. I feel I was a little robbed.”

During her makeover, she told the hairstylist what to do.  Alexandria explains, “I never had fake hair and it was great to have a $2,500 weave but the girl did not know what she was doing. You could see the extensions in the front of my head.  I had to say something in the best professional way possible.   My mother always said if you see something is not right, say something.  You have the voice to make it right.  I took one of the stylists over to the side and spoke with her privately.  I had 300 extensions that took seven hours to do.  I’m sure the hair stylist is very good at what she does but, I had to say something.”

Alexandria has had modeling experience and tried to help those who had never lived in a house full of girls before... “I was living with models for fashion week in a space that felt like a closet.  It’s about building relationships.  Maybe these girls will learn with this experience,” says Alexandria.  She was curious enough to ask older folks why people act nasty towards each other; but they even said that’s the way it is and it will go on like this forever no matter what you do to play nice.  Alexandria says that maybe it’s others insecurities, jealousies or feeling inferior that makes them not like you. “I’m very strong minded and don’t agree with weakness.  You have to be passionate about what you do in life,” says Alexandria.

One of the lessons Alexandria has taken with her is that she is #1.  “I learned to care about myself more.  Why was I trying to help people when all they did was stab me in the back?  I’m not saying I will not help people anymore; I will just keep everything in balance,” explains Alexandria.

Alexandria did everything correct including speaking up for herself at the right time. Timing is everything.  At the end of the day, the judges would have asked her why she did not do this or that. The judges will contradict themselves and confuse everyone.  You must know when to make a judgment call.  When the girls would not speak to her in the house it would have been enough to kill anyone’s spirit.  That’s why it’s so important to have tough skin to get through the rough patches in life.  The negative energy from the girls was so strong at one point that it bounced off of Alexandria and shot back to Hate Her Street.  In the end Alexandria won a challenge which included a brand new car and a couple of ad campaigns.  Holy Cow!!!  That’s what happens when you stay positive no matter who or what tries to shake your confidence.  Every test that was thrown at Alexandria, she either grew from it or won a major prize. Boy, life is funny at times.

The next move for the former contestant is to put everything she learned from the show into action.  She is not bitter about not winning.  It was not her time and she probably did not have the ‘look’. As for her advice to the next group of girls… “They don’t need any advice,” says Alexandria.  They will be fine if they stay positive and shoot for the stars.”   Her positive energy must be the key to her success because she will be one of the diva’s in cycle 17 All-Star America’s Next Top Model competition.  Stay tuned.  This is going to be divalicious!!!*