Ashley "Rae" Weisz the eighth girl cut from 'America's Next Top Model'

Ashley "Rae" Weisz was afraid her personality wasn't coming across, and she was right.


The 21-year-old 5'6" homemaker and mother from Rochester, MN became the eighth finalist eliminated from America's Next Top Model's thirteenth season during last night's broadcast of The CW reality series.

"So it's the end of the Top Model journey for me, I really haven't allowed myself to think about it.  But I cannot wait to see my daughter. I miss her so much," said Rae after her ouster.

"Now that I have this taste for what modeling can really be all about, I have even more of a passion for it and I'm ready to go out there and work to achieve this dream."

America's Next Top Model's seventh thirteenth-season episode began following the elimination of Kara Vincent, as Rae received a letter from her daughter.


"This is probably the most difficult thing I've ever done to be separated from my daughter, but I also know that being here is the right thing for me to do," said Rae.  "I really have to be strong in this competition. I need to put myself out there more. I need to stand out among the crowd of girls."

The seven remaining girls then traveled to CBS Studios, where they were met by Celebrity Fit Club host and former Last Comic Standing finalist Ant and The Insider host Laura Spencer -- who would teach them how to conduct interviews.

Seventeen Magazine editor-in-chief Ann Shoket then told the girls that they would be conducting an interview with actress Jessica Lowndes for their next challenge. They had two minutes to fill for the interview and were instructed by Laura to "not stop" no matter what. The winner would take part in a Seventeen photo shoot.

The girls began their interviews with Jessica and quickly realized the twist when the prompter was turned off mid-interview.  Jennifer An and Erin Wagner were still able to overcome the loss of the prompter, while Laura Kirkpatrick had a very difficult time due to her dyslexia -- which made her incredibly nervous -- and Nicole Fox asked an inappropriate question about Jessica havign a child.

Ann subsequently revealed Erin won the challenge and she chose to take Rae and Jennifer with her for the Seventeen shoot.


With the reward challenge in the books, the girls learned there photo shoot was being replaced by a CoverGirl commercial -- for which they'd have to write their own scripts. Erin did so incredibly quickly -- much to the annoyance of the others -- while Laura and Nicole spent time practicing.

The next day, the girls traveled to a television studio where they were met by Top Model twelfth-season winner Teyona Anderson and photo director Jay Manuel, who looked over the scripts. Jay then revealed that photographer and Top Model judge Nigel Barker would be directing the commercial.

The commercials then commenced, and --despite Jay's advice that she be herself -- Rae struggled to come across on film.

"About halfway through I start to get a little frustrated with myself," she explained.

Nigel reiterated Jay's advice.


"The essence of you is not coming through," he said. "If we can't see you, you can't successfully represent CoverGirl."

Despite being able to finish the commercial, Nigel wasn't impressed.

"Here's a girl who you think has it all, but if you can't show your personality you can't be likable," he said.   "That's what being a CoverGirl is all about. That's what being a top model is all about."

Erin went after Rae and had a hard time with her lines. Nigel gave her a few tips, but it didn't help.

"I could memorize all I need, but doing it for the camera is a really hard thing to do," opined Erin, whose frustration began to show as she started to cry.


"I kept trying, but I couldn't stop myself from having a hard time with it."

Nigel tried to relax her and instill some trust, however it didn't work.

"She wasn't listening," said Nigel. "If you're not going to listen, there's nothing I can do."

The next day the girls arrived for the thirteenth season's sixth elimination ceremony -- where they were met by Top Model creator and lead judge Tyra Banks, Nigel and runway expert J. Alexander.  This week's guest judge was Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Kim Kardashian.

Tyra immediately commented how Rae "seemed nervous" before the panel watched her commercial -- and once it was seen, it was clear why.


"I feel you're trying to push -- push, push, push," said Tyra. "It's almost there, but it needed like a shove."

"You had no smile, and then all of a sudden you popped it on," added Kim. "Then you were done."

Nigel said he wanted Rae to "have fun with it," but it seemed like she didn't.

After congratulating Erin for winning the interview challenge, she explained that she was "really frustrated" during the commercial shoot.

"I think I was trying to do something and I was doing it wrong," said Erin, who began to cry.  "I wasn't putting me in the commercial."

Her best take wasn't very good -- and the judges let her know that.


"I've got to say, you were crying throughout the whole thing. We had to redo your makeup four times," said Nigel. "You'd give me on word, two words and then you'd break down."

Kim said she could tell Erin was "really nervous."

"You did write the script yourself," she added. "It shouldn't be that hard to memorize it."

Tyra said Erin needs to learn how to make a film camera love her face as much as a still camera does.

The other five girls also received feedback before the judges began to deliberate -- and it quickly became apparent that Rae and Erin were in trouble.

Kim thought Rae "didn't come off as a star."


"But she came off as someone I was visually attracted to," she added.

Nigel agreed she's a "beautiful girl" but added she was missing that something extra.

"There's no wow factor for me with Rae," he said.

"I think Rae is good. She's not great," said Tyra.

Nigel said he was "extremely disappointed" in Erin.

"She's such a pretty girl, she's so photogenic. I'm like, 'Okay, she's going to get this. She's going to deliver something great,'" he added. "Boy was I wrong."


Kim said the way Erin acted on set was "unacceptable."

"I think Erin is so hard on herself that she gets in her own way," added Tyra.

Tyra then revealed Jennifer, Nicole, Brittany Markert, Sundai Love, and Laura were all safe -- meaning Erin and Rae were in the bottom two.

"Rae your weakness is not standing out, not being as strong with your presence as much as you are with your beauty. If you can bring that to your personality and to a commercial, that's a successful model. But the judges feel you lack that," said Tyra.

"Erin, you take some of the strongest pictures in this competition. But this is not America's Next Top Photo Model, this is America's Next Top Model, so it's important for you to be able to hold yourself together. We have never in the history of this competition had a girl cry so much that her makeup had to be applied four times."

Tyra then revealed Rae was eliminated.


America's Next Top Model's next thirteenth-season episode will air Wednesday, October 28 at 8PM ET/PT on The CW.






About The Author: Christopher Rocchio