“Good morning. Good morning. Not you, you can choke.”
“After you stole my coat, I did a little research… You’re a whore.”
“Bye, Pumkin! Bye, Pumkin!”
“They’re like a loud pack of bitches, and I’m sick of them already.”
“You look like a fairy princess… who resides in the pits of hell.”
“Beyoncé?! You look like Luther Vandross!”
There are reality TV icons, and then there is Tiffany “New York” Pollard. A walking id whose mind is a ticker tape of endlessly quotable quips delivered like slightly drunk poison darts—sharp as hell, but a little woozy on their way to the target—the Flavor of Love and I Love New York star changed the genre.
She could rightly claim part ownership for VH1’s reality-TV success. Fifteen years after her iconic debut, pining for the heart (behind the hanging clock necklace) of rapper Flavor Flav, legend is that she’s being added to Mount Rushmore for her contributions to American cultural iconography. It’s rumored that a collection of her best quotes—led by the ones listed above—will be added to the Library of Congress. A meme of her just plain sitting on a bed alone is considered so powerful that multiple museums are bidding for the right to put it on display.
The queen of the genre, largely thanks to those memes, has never left public consciousness. And now there’s another moment to add to the Hall of Fame, courtesy of Pollard’s role on E!’s House of Villains, which premieres Thursday and features an all-star cast of notorious reality stars from the last 20 years.
The moment in question is spotlit in the trailer (you’ll have to wait until later in the season for it), in which Pollard addresses former The Apprentice star-turned-Trump White House figure Omarosa Manigault Newman, calling her, among other things a “cock-sucking, cum-guzzling Republican cunt.” (Pumkin had it easy by comparison.)
Ahead of the House of Villains premiere, Pollard broke down the heated exchange for The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, talked about the complicated nature of being a villain, and spoke about what it means to still be the Head Bitch in Charge (HBIC) at, as she puts it, “the gracious age of 41.”
I’m excited to talk to the original HBIC!
The Head Bitch in Charge. That’s right.
What was your first thought when you heard they were going to bring together all these reality TV villains?
Kevin, I’m not gonna lie to you. I’m gonna keep it simple and plain. I got a little bit big-headed. Because I’m like, there’s no way that they're gonna do a “House of Villains” and not have me be a part of it. So I’m like, the HBIC is probably the first or second name on that list. So I was just so ecstatic. I jumped for joy and immediately was like, “Yes, Sign me up!”
How do you feel about being labeled a villain? Did you feel like you were one when you were doing Flavor of Love and I Love New York?
I’m so grateful that when I think of certain words in my mind, I don’t have a textbook description. So when I hear the word villain, I immediately think badass, strong, you go for what you want, you like to wear stilettos and high heels once in a while... That’s what villain means to me. So it’s more harmless than it is someone who’s just a bully or attacking. So I have a softer description of villain.
When you’re in this house surrounded by other villains, did you feel like you had to live up to your legacy as an original villain?
I don’t know if this is a good or a bad thing, but this is just how I operate from day to day: My radar was always at 1,000. I’m always really skeptical about new people coming into my environment or getting real up on me and close in my circle. So I think I treat everybody like they could be a supervillain. (Laughs) I try to be as kind-hearted as I can. But if you hang yourself, you hang yourself. So I just let everybody hang themselves, if you will. I knew what to expect with a group of villains.
You’re still ready to pop off when it’s warranted. In the two episodes I’ve seen, you put Corinne and Jax in their places.
To put it like this, Kevin, if you make me morph, I shall morph. But for the most part, I’m cool, calm, and just stay in my lane in my little world. But I had to morph into the HBIC once in a while in that house. But it’s not a surprise.
While you’re a villain, you also made history. There’s a really nice moment in the premiere where Omarosa gives you credit for being the first Black woman to have her own dating show. So people have also gotten to see you be vulnerable.
I still get chills when I think of it that way. There’s this one side, where you see me being HBIC and being extra strong and going for what I want, full of confidence. But then there’s also the part of me who has that vulnerability. [On those dating shows], your heart is on the line. Literally, America is watching you search for a guy—or get rejected, you know, a couple times by Flav. I’m grateful that America could see both sides of me and understand, and be there with me during the whole journey—which wasn’t always easy. Reality television is not easy, but I’m just grateful for the genre and to still be in it. Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it.
You and Jax talked about how fun it is when you first become a hit in reality TV and have so much money to burn. What do you remember from that time?
Oh my goodness, being pampered and treated like an absolute queen. Listen, I remember sitting in the middle of that huge bed in my first mansion for I Love New York Season 1. I had the laptop on the bed and basically it was, “Tiffany if you want it, order it. It’s yours.” From dresses to shoes, wigs—anything you could name.
How many people did you know or at least were aware of when they walked in the house?
I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I literally live under a rock and I don’t know what’s going on in real time. So I didn’t know a few of the faces. But I did my research as time went on, and we’ve got some really big names in that house. I have some good company.
It must have felt nice that pretty much everyone knew exactly who you were.
That’s always a plus. (Laughs) It just takes the hard work out for me to have to explain. It’s nice to hear them go, “Oh, it’s the HBIC right there.” People get excited or they get timid.
How did you feel when you saw Omarosa walk in?
That was no surprise for me. That’s just one of those names, again, where it’s a given that if we're doing a House of Villains filled with reality superstars, she’s gonna be there. It’s a no-brainer.
Did you have a relationship with her before the show started?
We’ve always had such a pleasant rapport and respect for each other. Obviously, we’re both African American women who’ve been in the reality game for well over 15 years. So we build on that. Did I have her number in my phone before the House of Villains? Of course. Did we talk every single day? Absolutely not. Nobody has time for that. But there’s a mutual respect.
Even so, there seems to be a pretty explosive moment between you two. The trailer previews you calling her a “Republican [c-word].” Could you talk a little about what was happening there?
Oh, absolutely. Here we go again, the beautiful pressure cooker of reality television. You know, one minute you’re hanging out, the next minute you’re exploding, and the next minute you’re crying—you just don’t know what's gonna happen once you’re sucked into that world. There’s just a lot going on. You’re competing. You don’t want to go home. There’s just so many different emotions when you’re in a reality show.
Based on the reaction that moment from the trailer got on social media, it seems like people found it very gratifying to hear you say those words to Omarosa.
Well, I’m always gonna give my supporters what they want. I’m always going to make it extra.
Omarosa also did not seem happy when host Joel McHale joked about the Trump White House in the premiere. It seems to be a hot-button issue.
You know me. I’ve never been one to bite my tongue. Why put my tongue in pain when I could just unleash it and say what I gotta say?
How did you feel about the competition aspects of the show? In the premiere, you’re running around a football field being knocked over by giant plastic balls.
I’m glad that you asked me that because, I’m not gonna lie to you, I was a little bit taken aback. I’m the HBIC. I’m running. I’m doing this. I’m doing that. And at the end of the day, if my efforts aren’t what they need to be, if they’re not up to par, I can literally get voted off. There was no messing with that aspect of the show. There was no favoritism of, “OK. This is Tiffany. We’re gonna make sure we rig it.” No, I was out there struggling. That was difficult, not being able to fully go to sleep at night and count sheep and be calm. There’s always that little bit of heartbeat, of shoot, I might be going home.
You’ve been doing reality TV for 15 years now. Does it feel different for you now than it did when you started?
I feel like approaching a show like this as the HBIC at the gracious age of 41—I’m proud of my age; I’m not one of those that's afraid to get older—I feel like I just know myself more. I’m more aware. Because the more you handle something, obviously the more expert you become. So I just feel like I don’t look for the beat, it finds me. Sometimes I’m quiet. Sometimes I’m here. Sometimes I’m there. It’s like I dance with the reality show now, as opposed to trying to find [the beat]. I’m that much more confident. I’m that much more assertive. I can walk in and own it.
It’s been fun to see you immortalized in memes over the years. I don’t think a day goes by where the “Beyonce?!” meme doesn’t come across my social media timeline.
I’m so grateful for memes. Seriously, I get hit up so much to do those. It helps keep me relevant with the youngers. The youths. The 20-year-olds. Like, really, you want a cameo from me? You’re not supposed to know who I am!
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