Dawn Richard Talks Fight w/ Aubrey O’Day & Plastic Surgery Backlash

Dawn Richard

Dawn Richard gets candid in a new interview about her music career. She first hit the music scene in 2004, after auditioning and winning Diddy’s Making the Band 3. That resulted in the infamous girl group Danity Kane and later the trio Diddy Dirty Money with Diddy and Kalenna Harper. Now a successful independent solo artist, she reveals the real reason she picked Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs over Danity Kane, what lead to the fight with Aubrey O’Day, and how she deals with plastic surgery bashing. Check out the excerpts.

On being an independent artist:

Just because your independent does not mean you cannot compete with mainstream. People think when your independent the quality of your work means, for lack of better words is shitty.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

On her relationship status with Diddy:

That’s the homie forever, people will never understand that relationship. You know like, people didn’t know that Puff had bought me out of a contract, prior to even getting on the show. So I had loyalty to that, you know and that is a respect that I understand I loved my group and I know that I like it wasn’t a I chose Puff over my group at the time it was more of when someone does that where I come from you got to respect that on a large level so I gave loyalty to him and I think I’ll never forget that.

On the best advice she got from Diddy:

He don’t give advice. Puff is smart, he does it is actions. He never sleeps, he has people always around him and he pays attention to the pulse. He’s a marketing man, more than anything and he’s blessed with an ear. That’s two very powerful things, right and so if you’re smart you don’t take advice you pay attention. So I just paid attention.

Aubrey O’Day

On fight with former group member Aubrey O’day:

I did not fight her. I did not like, you know, I think I was a certain person in the group in the beginning and I allowed a lot of things which made it comfortable for that to be, but we got older and I, my insecurities weren’t their anymore. And as women, the same reason Drea [former Danity Kane member] didn’t want to stay is the same reason I did the choice that I did. You know, I don’t like disrespect. I should have handled it a little bit better but I don’t like the entitlement.

As a culture we are starting to see how big entitlement really is. I don’t think it’s on purpose, I don’t think it’s vindictive, I think we are all just very different girls, we’re raised completely different, I reacted how I would react to a sister. Like if you step out of line I’m going to check you. I checked her, she’s not used to being checked like that we’re different cultures and so she did what she would do in that situation. We’re just different.

On reality TV now Vs. Making The Band: 

It’s not reality show right it’s more scripted. I think it’s a business, yeah it’s a business and it’s a smart business if you do it the right way, right. I think in the beginning though Puff was on it man. Making the Band was new and he just didn’t script that. He put girls in a room and he said figure it out. And that’s the best TV you can ever give someone because it is an honest process.

On plastic surgery:

There’s nothing wrong with plastic surgery – if that is what you want to get. Look, I think I have come to terms with knowing that if I say I didn’t get plastic surgery, they’ll say I’m a liar. If I say I did, they’ll say I told you so. I just stopped trying to, but I’m saying I stopped cause I would go and say, and they say you lied, when I say no. If that’s what they need to feel then fine. I know who the hell I am.

On advice to young girls dealing with self-esteem issues and bullying:

I did not love myself until 30, you understand so I’m you, and and that takes time. But know that, my issue was no one was telling me it was okay to be me, right. So just know it’s ok to live right up in whatever that is you are, that sauce that you in, that may be different a little, and you don’t fit, that’s some good sauce right there. Stay in that sauce and learn to fit in that ish.

By:@shesjasmine