"But really, who doesn't suck d*** in this world?" says Brandi M., when asked about her infamous fellatio-referencing nickname. But whether you choose to call her, "B***j** Brandi," "B.B." or "Wild Thing," in the interview below, Brandi proves that a rose by any other name is just as thorny. After the jump, Brandi talks about her frequent bouts with alcohol poisoning (nine times and counting!), her flip-flopping emotions on her final episode, mixing vodka with her Russian heritage and why she has all the respect in the world for strippers.

I really thought you were going to win.

Yeah, and I probably would have if I stayed. But the reality of it is it's hard. Twenty girls in one house gets on your nerves. Living in the house with Lacey was hard, with her manipulative games. I really liked Bret and after getting to know him, I liked him more. But towards the end, for him to take Lacey seriously and for them to have fooled around, it kinda turned me off.

I was very confused by your behavior on the last episode. Just your flip-flopping regarding Bret.

I was confused, myself. First off, I felt like I couldn't hang with the rock-star life after getting sick and all that. I was so embarrassed. Obviously, when you're drunk, you say some things that you shouldn't. I mean, I pounded 15 shots of vodka. But also, I've never been in a dating situation like that before. Trying to date Bret with four other girls was hard. It kinda confused me, I'm used to being the other girl that someone dates. In Vegas, I felt distant from him, so when I woke up after the night of drinking, I was having a weak moment. The girls were putting things in my head, making me feel like he wasn't the one. But then, after talking to him about my doubts, he reassured me. After that, I decided to give it a chance, but once I got back to the house, it started up with the girls again. That's when I was like, "I'm done."

You mentioned having your guard up...

Yeah, my guard is definitely up. I've been in an abusive relationship before. I was pretty much almost comatose for three days. I've lost hearing in one ear. That's why I'm jaded. I have that tattooed on my neck. It's hard to open up. I tried my best, but it's also hard to open up when you're on national television. It's hard having a camera in your face and saying what you really want to say to him. Sometimes when you're in a relationship, you want to keep things between the two of you, and that was impossible.

I know that you said you were embarrassed, but I thought your drunken behavior on the last episode was hilarious.

Well, thank you.  I know that the squirts were pretty funny. I told Heather that oysters made me sick! I noticed when watching the episode that I got a little snippy. That sometimes happens when I drink because I'm Russian. Vodka and my Russian-ness doesn't mix. But I tried to hold my composure. Honestly, I blacked out a lot that night. I remember bits and pieces. Until I saw the episode, I thought it was Jes that was sitting next to me. I didn't even realize that Heather was the one with the oysters. I also had no recollection of what I said in the bathroom.

The "I love you" thing?

Yeah! I did not remember any of it. I feel horrible because I don't remember any of that. My head was still in the toilet puking. I can't believe Bret took that seriously. Who's going to take a girl that's puking in a toilet seriously?

Well, it seemed like Bret maybe didn't mind having his ego stroked?

He's a great guy. I've seen him since the show – I went to a concert and I briefly talked to him. He's not mad at me for anything. He totally understands. I told him that I was sorry. I can handle a lot, I'm a strong person, but I broke down on the show. That was really hard. I didn't mean to toy with his emotions.

So you agree with him when he said you played with his emotions?

I can see how he thinks that, but I really didn't. I was just confused. I really did care for him and this kills me. I was bawling afterwards. I didn't want to go, really, but I kind of did. Come on, he slept with Lacey in Vegas. I couldn't handle being with him after that.

In a VSPOT extra, you mention that you've had alcohol poisoning nine times.

Yes. I've had it a lot, and I had it that time, too. I should learn from this. But when you're in the moment...this is how it all kind of happened: Bret's band members liked me and they hated Lacey. Their mission was to really get Lacey f***ed up. So we started this drinking game. Heather pretended to do the shots, which was smart. Jes said, "No, absolutely not," which was also smart. The band members were like, "How do you know this isn't a challenge?" because we knew that someone was going to have a nightcap with Bret later. They said, "We want to see who can hang. If you date a rock star, you need to party like one." So I figured that if it was a drinking challenge, I was going to win it. I was totally not thinking that they were just f***ing with us. Totally gullible.

Heather and Lacey had this alliance, but it seems like Heather was a lot easier to deal with than Lacey.

Heather definitely was. Heather's a great person. She really had her heart in it. I mean, we all did.

I didn't really realize until the superfans episode that you were a dancer.

Yes. I danced when I first moved out to Vegas. I bartended and did hair for seven years in Buffalo, but the school I've always dreamed of going to is in Vegas and after living in Buffalo my whole life, I wanted to spread my wings. My best friend was already living out here and she said I could move in. She's a dancer, too, which she's done her whole life. In a small town like Buffalo, you're considered a whore if you dance. But in Vegas, you're a superstar if you dance. It's nothing here. There's so much worse. When I first moved to Vegas, I looked for bartending jobs, but they're so hard to get. You have to be a cocktail waitress for years, unless you know someone. So I danced for a couple of months. It was hard. I give dancers a lot of credit. I think they are strong women. I danced at Scores, which is the same club Heather danced at, too. But we didn't know each other because there's like 500 girls that work there. You kind of don't want to make friends with them anyway, because they are your competition. So I did it for a little bit, but after being on the show, I realized that it isn't where I want to go in life. You can't do it forever because your looks and your body don't stay the way they are forever. Once I got back, I decided to get out of it and someone found me a bartending job. I got lucky.

Heather got a lot of crap for being a stripper and you didn't.

I think that's because I had only done it for two months. It wasn't a career for me. She's been doing it for the past five years, I believe. I'm sure maybe longer. I don't know. But it seems like that's her line of work. If she enjoys it and it makes her money, good for her. She's paying her student loans of with it. Although, if she already graduated, why isn't she doing the career she studied and paying her student loans off with her career money? That's the question the other girls had, so that's why the other girls gave her s***. Plus, she was always topless. You know that stereotype of a stripper that the world has?  A lot of them are not like that, but that's absolutely how Heather portrayed herself on the show. But I see nothing wrong with it. Guys sell drugs, girls dance. That's how the world works. You do what you gotta do to survive.

The "B***j** Brandi" thing...

Yeah. It was a little joke in high school. I haven't been called that nickname in years, it was just the girls on the show who called me that. It was just a little joke, just because both words begin with a "B." It's just a nickname and it's not what "B.B." stands for. My 4-year-old godson cannot say my name so he calls me "B.B." But really, who doesn't suck d*** in this world?

I saw you in the New York Daily News last week on stage with LL Cool J. What was up with that?

My manager flew me out to New York to check out some fashion shows, and I went to Tenjune's anniversary party. I was just hanging out and he asked some girls to get on stage, so I just jumped up. I figured, hey, you never know.

You have a manager, so that means you're pursuing a career in the entertainment industry?

Yeah, I'm pursuing anything that comes along. I've never acted before and I can't sing, as you saw on the show. I'm doing a bunch of charity stuff, too. I'm looking into working with Women Against Domestic Violence, and I took a vow with the Humane Society to never wear fur. I might have a clothing-line endorsement, but that's still in the meetings stage.

So you're enjoying this?

I am. I mean, you've got your haters, the people that definitely find little secrets out about your past and bring out the skeletons. But [the "skeletons" in question] happened seven years ago, and I was young and dumb. I've learned from things and I've improved my life. But yeah, I'm having fun. I get mobbed everywhere I go. I get noticed at Starbucks, the grocery store. I got noticed at the drive-thru of McDonald's yesterday.

Is there anything else coming up for you?

I'm in school at the International Academy of Design. I'm studying interior design and I just made the Dean's List. I definitely fight for gay rights and gay pride. I bartended at a lesbian bar for four years. Not all my friends are lesbians, even though I said that on the show. I do have a lot of friends that are gay, though, guys and girls. If they want to be happy and get married and live the miserable lives that us straight people do, let them.

So you're straight? Not bisexual?

I'm definitely straight. But if you're in a relationship and you want to spice things up, I know that there's a lot of couples that will do something like that. When I'm in a relationship, I will. I'm actually in one right now.

How is that?

It's amazing. I don't look for love. I'm very independent and do my own thing. But when I got back, I had seen this guy and we instantly connected. I've been with him ever since. He loves me and I love him and he's great. He's everything I ever wanted in a guy and it's weird that I met him after I did something like Rock of Love.

So how do you look back on your time on the show?

I'm grateful. Grateful's the biggest word I have for it. I'm grateful for the experience. I'm grateful for my time with Bret. I hope that he's happy with whoever he ends up with, and I hope all the girls on the show find what I found right now. I hope we can all get together and do something again. Charm School would be great, because you know I'm not a lady. I love how they said I'm not classy, but you know what? I never claimed I was classy.

Comments

[moss]

"I'm not a lady" is like the truest thing she's ever said.

[Tiffany Fan!]

I think Brandi is awesome -- she wasn't a poser. And you gotta love her comment "But really, who doesn't suck d*&^ in this world?" She gets right down to the crux!

[Rebecca]

Bret-
Congrats!
I watched Lacy get the boot...finally And finally got rid of the bad drama and chaos.

[Pam]

Brandi you were so cute. i wish you and jess were the final 2. best of luck with your new love.

[sheila]

hey brandie, you were one of my favs, hope that you recover from all of those whores that were in there with you and all thier drama that they rubbed off on you,, excecpt my girl jess... she is the one for bret......

[ShredWahineShred]

I don't care what ANYONE says, I freakin' loved this broad on the show and it's too bad she got the boot.

[Shame da devil tell da truth]

My favs on the Rock of Love were Brandi M., Rodeo and Jess. I don't know hoe Lacy made it as far as she did. It was evident from the beginning that she was dramatic and problematic. She seems kind of mani-depressive. Now it's down to Jess and Heather and I'm pulling for Jess. She seems like she really sweet, sincere and down to earth. Heather on the other hand, as we all know had an alliance with Lacy (most hated on the show) doesn't seem to really want Bret for Bret. Before he's Bret Michaels the rockstar, he's Bret Michaels the individual. Heather seems like she's just looking for a meal ticket so she could finally get her old behind off the stripping pole. I hope he doesn't make the mistake the mistake of choosing her over Jess. Despite her desperate attempts to win Bret over by tatooing his name on the back of her neck, she doesn't really seem sincere about him.

[Shame da devil tell da truth]

My favs on the Rock of Love were Brandi M., Rodeo and Jess. I don't know how Lacy made it as far as she did. It was evident from the beginning that she was dramatic and problematic. She seems kind of mani-depressive. Now it's down to Jess and Heather and I'm pulling for Jess. She seems like she really sweet, sincere and down to earth. Heather on the other hand, as we all know had an alliance with Lacy (most hated on the show) doesn't seem to really want Bret for Bret. Before he's Bret Michaels the rockstar, he's Bret Michaels the individual. Heather seems like she's just looking for a meal ticket so she could finally get her old behind off the stripping pole. I hope he doesn't make the mistake the mistake of choosing her over Jess. Despite her desperate attempts to win Bret over by tatooing his name on the back of her neck, she doesn't really seem sincere about him.