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Dropping both dime and dress, Charm School alum Shay “Buckeey” Johnson’s post-graduation agenda could give Monique hot flashes. Sorry about that visual. In pop culture, logic is out the window. Think about it—or, on second thought, don’t. Attempts at rationalizing, say, The Sopranos’ conclusion (or lack thereof) or even the fact Rihanna has a career are almost always accompanied by head-splitting migraines. Perhaps most illogical is the notoriety of VH1’s Flavor of Love girls. Exhibit A: Shay “Buckeey” Johnson, the quasi-celebrity who exited Flavor of Love 2 after nearly hospitalizing another contestant and frequented Charm School’s elimination floor.
Admirably, though, the former Army brat is self-aware. “You never know when this 15 minutes is gonna end,” says the 23-year-old. “I’m extending mine, trying to make this last as long as I can.” The bombshell’s extension plan: hosting parties, launching a website (shayjohnson.com) and selling calendars. To avoid becoming Hoopz the Third—we see you, Deelishis—she’s also pursuing acting through Wendy Williams–backed projects. A note: Avoid music videos. Rump-shaking alongside Lil’ Boosie does not a Halle Berry make.
KING: What’s your relationship with former reality-show BFF Larissa right now?
SHAY: There is no relationship with Larissa. She was not my friend, and she’s not my friend now.
KING: But you two were tighter than some Ds in a B-cup bra on the show.
SHAY: Like I said, Larissa was never my friend. You have to understand I met all of these girls on Flavor of Love. After the show I had no contact with any of these girls but one person, and [Larissa] was not that one person. When Charm School came around, they put us in the house together because they knew that our personalities were sort of alike. We got along the most in that house, but once I saw that she was a backstabber and a rat, and she turned the whole house against me, of course I was pissed. If she was a friend, when everybody was pointing the finger at me in the house saying that I took [Leiline’s] picture, her wack ass would’ve stuck up for me…and she didn’t.
KING: It’s a competition. You know, that whole kill or be killed thing.
SHAY: She is a little girl, and sometimes little girls need their asses whooped. But back to the questions about me. I don’t want to talk about nobody else—they’re losers.
KING: Last I checked, you haven’t been sporting any first-place ribbons, either.
SHAY: What do you mean? To me, I’m a winner at everything that I do. I’m a hustler, I’m a go-getter, and I’m that way because my mom is. The way she raised me is to be independent and not expect any hand-me-downs.
KING: Even if those accomplishments came from having Flavor Flav’s hands all over you?
SHAY: He chose me to be on his show. Without that show, who knows where I would be at this point? What you didn’t see on the show is that he is a very genuine person, he listens, he’s kind, he’s caring—and these are all characteristics that I love in a man. And when Flav grabbed my ass, it was because I told him to.
KING: Ah, you’re the aggressive type, huh?
SHAY: I am very aggressive, and I like to satisfy. You have to explore different things.
KING: In that case, any Cousteau-like experiences lately?
SHAY: Uh…next question [laughs]
