This morning I had the pleasure of chatting with Jessica, the second girl to be eliminated from Cycle 12 of America’s Next Top Model.
Despite her coming across as cocky during her short time on ANTM, Jessica was a total sweetheart and happily chatted with me about confidence, her dream modeling job, and how her little sister cried when she was eliminated last night.
Congratulations on making it into the Final 13. I thought you had a great look. You were one of my early favorites. I thought it was time that a Latina who looks like a Latina really came to represent. How did you come to be on ANTM?
Well, I actually emailed my pictures to one of the scouts. Luckily she liked them. She thought I had a shot so she told me to the audition. That was for Cycle 11. I didn’t make it. So I auditioned for Cycle 12 and I made it.
Yeah, Isabella had said she tried out for Cycle 11 as well. Do you know if there were a lot of girls in the house whom that had been the case with?
That was the case with a lot of the girls. They auditioned for other cycles and didn’t make it and then they auditioned for this one. In these kinds of things you have to be persistent. Don’t give up. If that’s what you want you’ve got to keep trying out for it.
So you said you had no doubts you were going to make it into the house which I thought was awesome you had such self confidence. Do you think your confidence ended up helping you in the competition or do you think it ended up hindering you?
I think it ended up helping me in the beginning because for some girls it might get overwhelming being there in the house with other people, other girls who are competing for the same thing you are. Thank God I have a high confidence where I just blocked that out and I didn’t care and I think I projected that. The judges noticed and I got to be one of the finalists.
Were you pleased with how you were portrayed on the show? Do you think that’s how you are?
Everyone’s saying that I was cocky and really there’s more to me than that I guess, and I might have been a little bit cocky but what model shouldn’t be? You should think that you’re beautiful. You should think that you’re the best. What if you’re doing a campaign and you’re trying to sell a product and you’re the main model for that campaign and you think you’re ugly? That shows. It portrays through your pictures. I think every model should be confident. It’s a competition.
Oh, for sure, and watching these competitions it’s surprising how many of the girls modeling don’t have that self confidence. So I thought that yours was refreshing, no matter what anyone said.
Yeah, well sometimes I get mad reading that Jessica’s so cocky. I mean, come on. You’re going to be entering a competition and you’re going to be the worst there? You shouldn’t even be there in the first place if that’s what you think because you’re not going to get very far and people are gonna notice.
What was it like watching yourself on TV?
It was different. I felt kind of special because I watched the show a couple of times before and I never thought I’d be on a show. But one day I woke up and decided to try out for it and I actually got it – I mean, the second time around but I got it. It’s pretty weird.
Yeah, most of the things that are worth going for in life – you have to try more than once, I think.
My little sister – it was just too funny. When I got eliminated she started crying. I already knew but she she’s only five so didn’t know what was going on. I said “I’m not sad anymore” but she saw me crying and then she started crying and said “I wanted you to win the thousand dollars.” She thought I was gonna win a thousand dollars.
That’s really cute. Did you watch last night with your family?
I did, yeah. I watched it.
Was it hard when you were watching to listen to the judges’ critiques that you didn’t hear?
Yeah, but somehow I knew that was coming on so I had to prepare myself for – they’re going to be very blunt and they’re going to criticize me – so I just had to prepare myself for that. It isn’t things that I’d love to hear but hey, you win some and you lose some. You just take those criticisms as something you had to improve in.
What did you think of the telenovela comments?
I would love to be a novela star! I took that as a compliment because they’re beautiful!
Yeah, I thought if they meant that as an insult, especially as a strong, powerful, confident Latina that’s not an insult. Those are beautiful women.
Once I got eliminated – they didn’t show it but Tyra said something that made me feel a little better. She said “You’re beautiful and you’re standing in front of me and I can’t believe how beautiful you are but it just didn’t reflect in your pictures.” She said, “You were probably driving all the boys crazy.”
It’s true. You were my best friends’ pick for the win, for the whole season. When I was showing him the pictures he said “That’s the one. She is so incredibly beautiful.” So I’m sure you’ll have a lot of luck finding –
Well if you see him tell him I said hi.
Oh, I will. He’ll giggle like a school girl.
That’s what I like about it too. You have your fans and it’s so different having fans. I like it. I’m not bitchy, I don’t think, once you get to know me so I wouldn’t be bitchy to my fans.
So have you been recognized? Are you back in Miami now? Have people seen you on the street and said “Hey?”
Yeah, I have. I went to the fair. Little girls – which I loved – said “Would you mind taking a picture?” Once one saw me taking a picture they all wanted a picture. They were like, “Oh, you must be tired but would you take a picture?” And I really don’t get tired of that. I love taking pictures and [inaudible] with people who actually appreciate what I’m doing. It’s a good feeling.
What’s your dream modeling job? Going forward, if you could do any campaign in the world what would you do?
I’d love to be on Victoria’s Secret. I love them. I love all the models in there. I would love to be in Sports Illustrated and obviously do campaigns for Louis Vuitton and stuff like that and just travel all over the world.
What’s next for you? What are you going to do?
I want to make my dreams come true, and get signed with a big nice agency. I just want to continue my modeling and be known.
Do you think you’re going to stay in Miami and go for that market first? Or are you thinking about moving to New York or LA to pursue it?
Well, yeah, if I get offered anything in New York I would definitely move over there. But yeah I would prefer New York than Miami. Even though I like Miami, I would prefer New York’s market and their agencies.
One last question for you. Who do you want to win this cycle now that you’re out of the running?
Okay, well if it wouldn’t be me I would love for Natalie to win. I thought she had the total package and I love her look and she’s really tall. I love that.
You guys were two of my early favorites so I was bummed to see you go so early.
Aww!
I definitely wish you all the luck in the world and I expect to see you in Sports Illustrated or Victoria Secret someday.
Thanks, Abbey!
–Interview Conducted by Abbey Simmons of BuddyTV
(Image Courtesy of CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
