The Challenge: Battle of the Exes - Diem Brown Interview

[CENTER][FONT="Arial Black"][SIZE="6"][B]Diem Brown [/B][/SIZE][/FONT][RIGHT][/CENTER] [url=http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=13232][img]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/1174f8deb536882f.jpg[/img][/url][/RIGHT] Q. How were you cast for Fresh Meat? Had you auditioned for Real World previously? [B] A. I was supposed to be cast for the Key West season, but I backed out because they asked about some family questions that I said I could not discuss on TV. They respected that and said I was “too aware of cameras/not open enough for Real World,” but then invited me to be part of Fresh Meat. Ironically, it was after I was casted that I found out I had Ovarian cancer. I did not tell the producers. It was when I was walking with Derrick that they found out and brought me in to production because they were going to send me home because of liability reasons. I begged and got my doctor to sign off on everything. To be frank I didn’t know if I was going to make it through my treatment and “Fresh Meat,” in my mind, was going to possibly be my bucket list. I owe so much to BMP/MTV, and I am grateful to them. [/B] Q. You elected to make your experience with cancer a very large part of your MTV story. Was that an organic thing, or did you or BMP raise that as a storyline? [B]A. It was organic; they had no idea. Most of the cast didn’t know. In Fresh Meat, I didn’t want ANYONE knowing I cancer. It was only after some of my Chemo pills went missing that I told Aviv because I was scared that it could seriously harm the person who took them and I wanted to find out who was taking other peoples pills. (Sadly this happens a lot, but in my case taking those pills could do real damage, especially since they didn’t have cancer. Anyway, for Duel one again I was called, and I honestly had not looked in the mirror for months so I 100% thought I was still bald and I had such a distortion of who I was at that point and what I looked like. I was not exaggerating when I said I felt like “damaged goods,” especially dealing with Ovarian cancer. Part of being a girl, to me at least, was having hair and being able to have kids. They took so much out during my 2 surgeries I felt incomplete. So, yes, it all just happened to happen, and again I’m grateful to BMP/MTV, that because of the Duel, I felt comfortable without wearing a wig.[/B] Q. Exes was your sixth challenge. Looking back on all of them: 1. Do you have any regrets? (and if so…) [B]A. I regret that I come off as a whiny/crying girl lol to my friends and most of the cast members. I am so “ADD” that I have to organize random theme parties or games. Because of my past, I try and always enjoy each moment and have fun, so I get so annoyed because ALL of us cry but anytime I do… they ALWAYS show it!! Lol [/B] 2. Are you particularly proud of anything? (and if so…) [B]A. I’m proud of my growth and determination… during Fresh Meat Darrell congratulated me for my “never quit” ways after that rope challenge above the lake when Derrick and I went first. They forgot to give us wetsuits, so when we crossed the rope it would take off parts of your skin…and no matter what I would not stop. I am stubborn in good ways and bad, but that stubborn quality makes me never give up!! [/B] Q. Some have speculated that during “The Ruins,” you threw the elimination vs. Tonya. Tonya thinks she beat you. Would you like to burst her balloon? If you did lose on purpose, what was the good reason you did so? [B]A. I don’t want to burst anyone’s balloon ;) [/B] Q. Have you been invited to do other challenges and declined? If so, what could we also have seen you on? [B] A. They have called me, but to reference the above question (losing on The Ruins)… I have a full time job working as a SKY News entertainment reporter. My boss has been really cool, but I always have to get clearance from her and also not ask for too much.[/B] Q. Why the Exes challenge (why this challenge)? You’ve been “missing” from the last two. Was that it that brought you back? [B]A. I always trust my gut… I had zero idea it was “Exes” when I said “yes.” In fact, I was lead to believe it was Duel 3. When I heard rumors of it was “Exes,” I asked and was told again that “don’t be silly stop listening to the rumors no one knows anything.” [I][FONT="Arial Narrow"](editor’s note: you should have been reading vevmo.com)[/FONT][/I] Something in my gut said to do this one. MedGift was the tipping point because we had two hospitals signed on at that point and I thought it would be cool if I won any money to spread it among the patients and also offer some of the money to hospitals about to sign on -- to their patients. Again, it was just a gut feeling that said “you need to do this one.”[/B] Q. Who is Diem Brown? [B] A. I feel like I try to be a very positive person, an extreme hard worker and a “fixer.” I see a problem and want to fix it. I am a people pleaser to a fault at times, and I think for the most part we all are to some level; but, because I’m so stubborn, I feel like I owe it to patients to fix the problems they have in any way I can. That is my passion, and a way I can justify in my mind having to lose my mom. Having cancer actually has changed my life for the better I started off a gun-ho entertainment reporter. Now, to be honest, I think I need to step away from entertainment reporting because my passion for people and trying to find ways to help fix their situations are my real passions. I’m at a cross road at the moment . 2012 will be a very big year of change for me, and faith in being able to “jump” with no nets. [/B] Q. You seem like a person who has goals. Do you have a five and ten year plan. If so, can you share it with us?[B] A. The above kind of answers that question in 5-10 years I would love to have MedGift in all 6,000 hospitals and engage the Wal-Mart’s, CVS, airlines, etc. of the world to realize by giving gift cards to patients while they are sick the companies can then become part of people’s lives in a way that is better than any commercial. I so would love to have a family and learn the tricky balance of love, work and family. ;) [/B] Q. One of the episodes created some negative comments from fans in response to the shortened and confusing edit of what kept you from attending the funeral of Chris’ brother. This is your chance to tell the story, unedited. What happened? [B]A. When Chris’s brother passed we were not “together.” We spoke on the phone and saw each other at a Six Flags event with his family, but I was actually in a relationship when his brother passed. That said, the second I found out at 4am I booked a ticket. Now I had zero money at the time and I’d moved onto a girlfriends couch because I was paying 2,000/month on hosting fees for MedGift (then L4TC), paying lawyer fees and government fees, all for MedGift (we had over 100,000 families on the site at the time, but I was operating by myself and draining every cent I had to keep it up and running. I had to borrow money to get that first plane ticket because I had no money to buy anything never mind a last minute ticket. When I got to the airport, I discovered my mistake, that I’d clicked the wrong month. I tried to book another ticket, but there were no flights that would get me to Methuen on time for his brother’s funeral. I spoke to Chris, his dad and his mom. They were all dealing with their loss and I didn’t know what to do. I have dealt with the loss of my mom and after her funeral we just wanted family time. They all said its okay and thank you for making the effort. I looked at tickets to buy right after the funeral but I had no money and people were starting to get mad at me for continuing to borrow money. I spoke to Chris after the funeral and all the way until Duel 2 which at the time was only weeks away, so knew I would see him soon. I wanted to be there. I tried so hard to be there and I not only didn’t have money for that first ticket but the second ticket I wasn’t able to make happen. I had no one else I could borrow money from. I hate giving excuses, but I tried with every means that I had to be there and I was sick that I messed up by one stupid lil month button. [/B] Q. For those who are new fans of the Challenges, how long did you and Chris date? Were you actually an exclusive couple? [B]A. We dated for over dated a year and a half… we were exclusive to the utmost degree. After Duel 2, I was hurt because the one thing we always promised each other, even on the airplane ride to duel 2, was that we would never touch another cast member. He admitted so much during that “talk” and on the Reunion that they never aired, but he admitted he did that to hurt me on purpose because he said “I felt like I was never good enough for you.” That killed me because I made him feel that way because of the 5 year later thing. I was young and wanted to change so much of patients’ ways to cope with ANY illness. I could not give him 100%, so I thought that would be unfair to him. We, of course, had other problems other than that. That I hoped would change with time, but I don’t air private laundry if I can avoid it …so I never have. We all change, we all evolve, and everything happens for a reason. My boyfriend now… is really the ying to my yang. He brings me up when I’m down and frustrated. He is the biggest supporter of MedGift and wants to help me in anyway he can with my dream. He has figured out what make s me tick and I love that he tries anything he can to bring a smile to my face when a disappointment has happened. I have never felt more loved in my life. For all my faults and my crazy stubborn ways, I feel love ;) [/B] Q. Do you think that you and Chris would have won the “power couple” position more frequently if he had been willing to treat you as a full team member earlier in the challenge? [B] A. Yes and no… this game was not set up rewarding the power couple. Being the power couple put a target on your back. Johnny didn’t mind the target, but I felt no real reason to strive to have that role. That said, I might have relayed that info to my partner instead of keeping him in the dark about my thoughts if we had “the talk” sooner. lol.. [/B] Q. Did "Execs" leave any false impressions that you would like to clear up. [B]A. First, I did NOT want to get back together with CT at any point. Rachel, Jaz and Tyrie were all there when the first night he said I thought we could give us another try, of course in his words, I can't remember exactly. Look at the reunion. He says it there even on film, "She doesn't want me" He always approached me. First days with the picture frames then later on he always would wait by the bar with drinks. He would be by himself by the bar waiting for me to grab napkins because it was so hot I would sweat like crazy after dancing. He would just wait and then would have a drink waiting... Whenever he tried to kiss me -- the alter challenge, the night of bachelor night after taking off the garter, after we won the jet challenge -- whenever he tried to kiss me, I always turned my head. I don't know with all of that how in the world he looks like the one not interested? I wanted to be cool with him I wanted the hate I'd held on to for so long to go away. After shavon there was no chance of CT and I ever happening again. He knows that. He knows me and my stubborness ... It was forever done at that moment in my eyes. I love my current boyfriend. I am happy and feel complete. We compliment each other and balance each other out. I am happy the hate I held onto for CT is gone, and I'm happy that CT has found happiness with his current girlfriend and the Forgiven Tour... I am happy the both of us have let go of the hate we held on to for each other and both have moved on. We both grew up :) [/B] Q. In 2008, you were interviewed by a women who herself was a cancer survivor. She wrote that she had been worried about the risk of having children since she would have to go off her medications, but that your story inspired her. She now is a book author and has two healthy children. How does it feel to know you actually touch someone’s like to the point that she risked everything to have two children? [B] A. Is “that” woman Erin Zammit? (ed note: Yes, its is) I love her I am so astonished by the strength of women especially during a crisis. She has given me someone to look up to and hope to be like her when I try to have kids. I’m praying that there is some scientific help I can use to assist me. I’m even thinking about freezing eggs. People never really talk about it, but I wish I frozen my eggs right after college. I wish I was aware of the technologies and benefits of that earlier, but I think this upcoming generation will be more aware of options.[/B] Q. What is next for Med Gift? I know you are have been visiting hospitals to promote the program. Where have you been and how is it going? [B] A. I have been all over the U.S.! I have been asked to move to NYC by a certain organization and it’s scary, because if I do this, I’m jumping with out a net I would have to quit my reporting job and live off my savings I have built up from reporting. However MedGift is my dream. I know it will change the way people deal with ANY medical misfortune from car accidents to cancer. I am so passionate about patients. I will never stop pushing. I just had an amazing trip to Nashville (found out its headquarters to the healthcare world) That’s a city I would love to have a family in! Nashville gave me some amazing advice, and if I follow it, although hard, you will be the first to know of the outcome. I have soooo much work ahead of me and at times feel like I’m fighting a battle alone, but I know in my heart I need to keep pushing no matter what wall pops up in front of me. I cannot quit. So it looks like I will be moving to NYC for a short-term period to help MedGift fly in the big apple ;) (Sorry, y’all know I’m cheesy) Thanks for your support and if anyone wants to help please let me know. I NEED IT!!! ;)[/B] Q. And now, our traditional cast member association question: (Hint: The Miz – Loud) [B]Camilla- crazy Brazilian Derrick- a pit bull Mark- 40 yr old politician Dunbar- flip the switch Rachel- insane body Landon- bike lover Paula- prayers (she's finding her self) Tori- baby brady Kimberly- sassy southerner Ruthie- monkey (she can hang on to anything) Katie- awesome funny, phone Robin- cheerleader Cara Maria- pirate LeRoy- hilarious (he thought my name was Dam at 1st so now calls me daaaaaam diiiieeem) Wes- my crazy brother Emily- meat lover, my diet opposite Heather- precious moment doll Sarah- puzzles Tina- waxing pro[/B]