Exclusive: Dominique Reighard talks 'America's Next Top Model' (Pt. 2)

Dominique Reighard became the tenth girl eliminated from America's Next Top Model all-stars edition's tenth episode during Wednesday night's broadcast on The CW.


On Thursday, the 27-year-old who previously appeared on Top Model's tenth season, talked to Reality TV World about her America's Next Top Model experience -- including who she believed may "take the title," why she thought the all-stars edition had a fierce Top 5 and whether she plans to actively pursue a music career ontop of her modeling goals.

Below is the second half of our exclusive interview with Dominique. Click here to read the first portion.

Reality TV World: [Lauren Kirkpatrick] came to your defense when you told [Angelea Preston] during the "judge your peers" exercise with [Miss J. Alexander] that she deserved to win the competition least of all the girls because she had a confidence issue and it showed in her modeling performance. Why was it so clear to mostly everyone in the house that she didn't really believe in herself, especially since she strongly argued the accusation aloud?

Dominique Reighard: I don't know what's going on with Angelea. I know how I felt and how I feel about her and I know that at the end of the day, my message was very clear in [Wednesday] night's episode. It was very clear. It came from a loving place. How she took it -- I can't control that. I can only focus my energy on what I can control and it's the way I carry myself. It's my actions and I live by example.


Reality TV World: When you girls had to rank each other on who deserved to win the competition all the way down to who had the least modeling potential, [Allison Harvard] was ranked as having the least potential, while Laura got ranked the highest. Do you think that list was accurate or would you agree with [Lisa D'Amato's] statement during the episode when she said the girls basically put the most threatening competition at the bottom of the list to make themselves look better?

Dominique Reighard: You know, I can't quite figure out how that happened. (Laughs) It went by so fast! We answered some questions and how that went down -- Allison contributed to that because Allison had said before that she really cares about doing her art and wants to be successful in her art career. So, I don't know if that had any effect on it, but the judges are living for Allison.

They think she's amazing and I hate to say it, but I'm watching the show and I'm like, "Yay, Alli cat!" (Laughs) I'm loving watching her too. She is different and she is beautiful and exotic and so unique. Who knows, she may take the title. (Laughs)

Reality TV World: So it sounds like you thought Allison might have been your biggest competition, right?

Dominique Reighard: If you look at the Top 5 -- me, Lisa, Angelea, Laura, and Allison -- we're all polar opposites of each other. So really, how do you compare? You can't. I think at the end of the day, I think Angelea said it best [Wednesday] night, we are our only competition. At this point in the competition, the only thing that could hold any of us back from winning, is ourselves.


Sometimes, that's just the way the cookie crumbles -- not everybody can win. I think every girl is really talented and has the opportunity to win this competition and has the ability to do it. My feedback for Angelea wasn't to say that she wasn't an all-star and she didn't deserve to be here, it was just something that she needed to work on and improve with herself, because I really care -- while Laura cares too.

At the end of the day, I'm curious to see who is going to take the title. Let me just say, I will be tweeting live @DominiqueANTM, so I want all my fans to follow me on Twitter. I don't know what's going to happen in the next episode, but the shock factor in the last episode -- I loved it. (Laughs) I know I got eliminated, but nobody saw it coming, so it was fun to watch.

Reality TV World: Do you think you might have done a little bit better in the photo shoot had you modeled a different Olympic sport? Did you feel like posing with the javelin was very difficult? Because viewers thought it at least looked pretty heavy.

Dominique Reighard: Yeah, it was extremely heavy, but no. I rocked that photo shoot, girlfriend. You know, I think what happened, happened. I don't live in the past and that's over with. That chapter's done, but I will say this, I think I did give 100% percent to that photo shoot and I plan on working with [Nigel Barker] again in the near future. So there's irony in that.

Nigel is an amazing photographer. I think I've grown so much since shooting with Nigel on Cycle 10 and I loved my picture [Wednesday night] and the javelin was very difficult, but I'm a model. There's always going to be some element in a photo shoot that's going to be difficult, and if it's not difficult, then you're not doing the right thing.


Tyra says, "If it hurts, then you know you're doing the right thing." If you're holding a pose and it's a difficult pose to hold, then that picture is going to be fierce. (Laughs)

Reality TV World: How tough has it been for you to balance a modeling career with being a mom? Were you an active model before coming on Top Model's all-stars? Because I would assume you would need to travel often and such.

Dominique Reighard: You know, before the all-stars cycle, I did some maternity modeling and I was working while I was pregnant. I have a very strong support system at home. My husband is amazing and is very supportive. My kids are very supportive -- my family -- they've all been very, very supportive. I have a team of people -- a PR team, management -- everybody has been so supportive.

I think it's all about the team and I have a very strong team. I'm very motivated and it is a challenge, but it's a blessing too. I think it's what keeps me grounded and focused. It helps keep things in proper perspective and that's all I can say about that.

Reality TV World: We talked a little bit earlier about how you have a music video out right now. Do you want to actively pursue a music career first and foremost at this point or would you consider it just a side job to your modeling?


Dominique Reighard: You know, right now, I am working on my album. There's many layers to Dominique -- here I go in third person, right? But yeah, there's many layers to me and my fans are going to see that. I like the shock factor. [Wednesday] night was a great shock factor. Fans didn't see it coming. "I'm On Top of the World" -- my music video that's out right now -- was shot by Derek Blake. 

They didn't see that coming, and the next video, they're going to be shocked by that too and I like that. I want to keep my fans guessing and I want to see them -- I never want to be stuck or stagnant. I want to keep growing and evolving as a woman and into my career.

I think the fact that they're not sure what's going to come next for me is a good thing, and right now, I'm working on an album. I have a music video that's coming out soon. It's called "Main Chick" and I have a pretty well known rapper on it. Her name is Diamond. I'll be in Atlanta at the end of the month for a premiere party for that music video, which I'm very excited about.

I also plan on traveling internationally with my music and seeing fans -- all my fans all around the world. I really want to go out there and see them and touch them and thank them for all their support that they've given me, because I'm telling you, my fans from overseas and here, my Twitter, my email, and my Facebook have been blowing up like crazy ever since I got eliminated. (Laughs)

My phone is still vibrating right now from messages. (Laughs) It's crazy but I'm blessed. I'm going to take that and run with it, you know?


Tyra gave us this platform for millions of people to know who we are and I've traveled a lot in the states and have done a lot of appearances here, but I plan on going overseas and pursuing my music career as well as dabbling in acting too. I love to act. My mother told me that since I was a little girl, I was an actress. So, I also plan on pursuing acting as well.

Reality TV World: When I talked to previously eliminated contestants this season, a lot of the girls told me they weren't very happy with how executives pitched the show to them because they thought it ended up being something totally different. Some people thought the show was going to be focused on branding but then turned into the same modeling competition as their prior seasons. What are your general thoughts about that? Did the show end up being exactly what you had expected it to be?

Dominique Reighard: Yeah, for me, yeah. It was a very positive experience, you know? I got to meet some amazing people, some amazing photographers, celebrities, the cast -- they were amazing -- and production, they were amazing. For the most part, I had a good experience, and so, that's my experience. I grew a lot even just on this past cycle.

I got an opportunity to write and to produce my own music and star in my own music video. And because of that, look, I have a music video that's out right now "I'm On Top of the World." Before I did that on the show, I was scared and fearful of singing in front of people and Tyra gave me an opportunity to challenge myself -- to challenge that fear and push past that.

And now, I'm producing and pursuing a music career, so for me, I've taken this show and I've taken everything and I've made it work for me. I think that embodies my brand as a survivor.

I'm going to keep going. I had a positive experience. I grew a lot and I feel like the show regardless of editing or anything, it's still the essence of who you are -- whether it's chopped up or whatever. It's still the essence of who you are and I own everything I do, so that's what I can say for myself.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski