Vanessa Fontana failed to make the cut on the final episode of the MTV reality show “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF,” which aired Tuesday night.
The heiress told Fontana, 22, she wanted to stay friends — just not best friends. Instead, Hilton welcomed Las Vegas rocker Brittany Flickinger into her entourage.
Fontana, the show’s runner-up, lived in Mount Vernon for the past four years before relocating to Los Angeles in October to try to jump-start an acting career.
She talked about the show’s conclusion with The Herald, and discussed what’s next for her.
Question: Do you have any regrets about the show, either how you performed or were portrayed?
Answer: I was myself throughout the whole thing. I’m very sensitive. Maybe I cry a little too much, but I was true to myself. I don’t regret anything. It was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had.
Q: The show finished filming this summer. Were you able to tell anyone about the outcome in advance? Did your parents know?
A: No, I wasn’t able to tell anyone.
Q: What was their reaction?
A: They’re proud of me for how far I made it. Parents are parents. They think you’re a winner for anything you do.
Q: Since you already knew the outcome, were you dreading seeing the final episode?
A: I wasn’t, until the day rolled around. Then I was like, “Oh, I don’t know if I want to see this.”
Q: When we first spoke, you said you weren’t a huge Hilton fan going into filming, so were you surprised Brittany accused you of idolizing Hilton from Day One?
A: I was surprised, but it is a competition, and she was doing what she had to do to win, even if it was saying things that weren’t true.
Q: Why do you think you lost?
A: She (Hilton) must have had a stronger connection with Brittany. But I’m still friends with her. … I watched the finale at her house. She said, “You’re still my best friend, too.” I don’t feel like I lost.
Q: Even though you weren’t the winner, Us Weekly just quoted you in a story last week about Hilton’s breakup with her boyfriend. How much time do you spend together?
A: A lot. I’d probably say five days a week, I’m hanging with her.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’m actually on my way to a meeting with an agent, a manager, right now.
Q: Have you lined any work up?
A: I did book my first club gig (a celebrity appearance), so I’ll be in Vegas on the 27th.
Reporter Andy Rathbun: arathbun@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3455.
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