The Bad Girl is Back

Shelly Ray returns to the Bad Girls house ready for a battle of All-Star proportions

Written by Andrea Piamonte

Photography by Jonathan Pfeifer

Published in Vital VOICE Magazine, January 2014 Issue

With singer and actor Ray J as the returning host (we know he’s had his share of bad girls), Bad Girl’s All Star Battle, season 2, premiered on Tuesday, January 7 on Oxygen.

“Well it’s definitely different from the first season,” Shelly Ray says. “The first season they did challenges that were slightly comical. This time it’s definitely like Real World/Road Rules type of challenge.”

On the Bad Girl’s Club (BGC) spin-off, Shelly Ray and other BGC alums will be competing and living under one roof for a chance to win $100,000 and the title of “Baddest Bad Girl of All Time.” The reality show is kicking it up a notch as they take 16 past infamous “Bad Girls” and challenge them with outrageous tasks.

“The challenges are very strenuous and honestly made me challenge myself strength-wise more than I thought it was going to,” she recalls. “It was very mentally and physically challenging. That’s what shocked me! I thought it would be more like a mental game because that’s what BGC is — it’s mental, it’s all mental. And that was not the case this season.”

It won’t be easy, considering her opponents in the competition are known for being unruly, highly aggressive and tough females seen on previous seasons of BGC. This season made it especially difficult without a familiar face because Shelly Ray is the only returning star from BGC, season 7.

“It was insanely awkward,” Shelly Ray says. “I literally knew not one single female, which is normally fine for a girl to walk into a room with a bunch of girls they don’t know,” she continues. “Okay. But walking into a house with girls from Bad Girls Club that they consider ‘All-Stars’? That is a pretty freaking scary situation.”

With a reality cast known for having bad reputations, the games began the moment Shelly walked in the door. Her initial competition strategy was to observe and basically people-watch.

“You have to pay attention to everyone’s facial expressions and body movements.” she says. “See, I’m a hugger. If someone just looked at me and said ‘Hey what’s up?’ I’m going to know that person is going to take time to get to know — either that or she’s a bitch.”

According to Shelly Ray, her observing strategy seemed to get her far in the competition and she learned quite a bit about herself after the experience.

“I definitely learned that I’m a stronger individual that I ever thought I was,” she explains. “Not necessarily mentally. I kind of already knew that I am a better person than I was in season 7. Strength-wise, I really underestimated myself because I showed some of these girls exactly what I could do.”

However, there is one thing that hasn’t changed from her previous season. Her nickname, Lady Killer, is carried over onto this competition. As the only out cast member, we had to know what’s the deal with that.

“I had no idea where that name came from!” She laughs. “I hate it! It was so funny because they gave me the name ‘Lady Killer’ as if I was slaying them down or some ho.”

The connotation of her dubbed nickname surely implies that she is a player, but she reassures that isn’t the case.

“Name one lady I got with in the BGC house — none. I haven’t tried and don’t wanna try. Most of those girls are ratchet anyways and I’m not really trying to do that.”

As a lesbian being in a house full of women, she has her fun but keeps things platonic with the other cast members.

Even if there are potential heteroflexibles, she’s a strong believer of keeping her private life just that— private.

“If I get that sign that it’s possible, I still won’t even push,” she says. “See that is the one thing you just don’t do — is look like a ho on national TV.”

Shelly’s already got enough to worry about without trying to form a love connection on the show. There is certainly enough drama already present. Viewers can look forward to the show’s bar fights, inevitable altercations between the “Bad Girls” and extreme challenges.

With the filming of the show completed, Shelly has recently left L.A. and moved back to St. Louis this past December. The main reason for her move is simple. She couldn’t handle being away from her family and her beloved hometown.

“I Skyped my family over Thanksgiving and it was the first time I’ve ever been away from them. That was too much,” she says. “After the show, I stayed and I played. But in L.A., I can’t make a serious life there. I want to be back in St. Louis with my family. My family is my life. As much as I didn’t know it before, I know it now.”

She plans to stick around for a while and is currently working as a bartender at Hamburger Mary’s. As for the outcome of the show, viewers will have to see how the competition unfolds for Shelly.

“I think I’m going to surprise a lot of people this season,” she says. “With anyone who has watched BGC, season 7, they would have no idea who I was this season because I am completely different.”

“I hope that everyone that watches the show know that editing is editing and a human is still a human,” she continues. “I mean it’s TV and it could be different from what it actually is. I just hope that people remember that. If they make me look bad, I am going to be shocked because I was a perfect “Bad Girl” this season. I was as good as good can get on that show.”

As good as a “Bad Girl” can be, we suppose.