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After leaving Charm School, Larissa "Bootz" Aurora sets the record straight about Mo'Nique and her classmates.

By Kenya N. Byrd
Credit: Anthony Evans, THEMANUC
PRODUCTIONS

Larissa strikes a pose.
Hate it or love it, Larissa "Bootz" Aurora is unbreakable. So what if she flunked Charm School, this aspiring actress and licensed hair stylist wants you to know that she has a real life outside of the Queen of Comedy's institution. Besides, the California native has been winning baby pageants since she was a 1 year old and could probably teach her former classmates a spellbinding lesson or two. Larissa, the middle child of four siblings, has been keeping her eyes on the prize—acting, modeling and preparing to launch her own weave hairline, Larissa Aurora. Essence.com kicked it with the fiesty ex-student to dish about Mo'Nique's rules, her "so-called" friend Shay, and why Flava Flav was never the object of her desire.


Unfortunately, you and Mo bumped heads constantly. Do you really have beef with her?The only thing I can say about Mo'Nique is that she doesn't see everything that goes on in the house, but our strained relationship was another reason I left. And let's be clear, I left the show, I didn't get eliminated. If judging was really based on the competition, then I passed my competition so why was I on the carpet? Mo'Nique had too much pride to congratulate me on doing a great interview with "New York."


Weren't you on the carpet for hiding Leilene's photo?Who cares if I hid the picture? When Schatar (Hottie) hid Heather's (Krazy) clothes Mo told us to step up our game because Schatar did a great job playing us. So I'm thinking, 'Okay Mo'Nique wants us to play dirty, then let's play dirty.' But when I do a prank, I'm a thief and a liar.


Do you think Shay sold you out?My feeling is that if we're partners, why are you telling Mo'Nique that I did it alone? We both did it. I was tired of explaining myself to Mo'Nique because who are you to judge me on anything? If I had done what Saaphyri did in that thrift store — throwing clothes around and carrying on — Mo would never have made any excuses for me.


So why do you think Mo'Nique doesn't like you? Because I wouldn't share my life story with her, but why should I? Mo'Nique isn't a psychiatrist and I didn't feel it was necessary because I don't want all of America knowing my business. Charm School isn't a show to help the girls, instead it made us look like fools. Do you know the first thing Mo'Nique said to us when we arrived? She told us we were a disgrace to Black women. They edited that out because there were White, Latin and Asian women there as well, but why choose to call out and embarass the Black women?


Whoa, okay. Well why'd you and your friend Shay have a falling out?First of all, Shay and I are not friends. In fact, I don't even know her and the only reason Shay told everyone she was my friend was because she knows my fan base is large. So she figured, let me hang with Bootz because she'd get more screen time. There were a lot of things cut out of the episode that proved that Shay had a problem with me. If she was my friend, why would you try to clown me during the debate team challenge and the Leilene situation?