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It’s a generally understood fact that the cast of “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta” have very little act right. Though occasionally, we’ll find exceptions. Enter, Ariane Davis. If you’ve noticed, she keeps a pretty low profile on the show. She’s the friend who provides the necessary side eyes whenever Mimi starts waxing poetic about her strange relationship with Nikko. Who hasn’t been in that position, listening to your girl go on and on about a man everyone else knows isn’t right for her?

What I’m saying is, if we can relate to anyone on the show, it’s Ariane. For the most part, she’s kept her nose clean. The one little bit of juice she ever had associated with her name is her sexuality. Davis is bisexual and  last season, she announced that she was seeing a woman. But unlike other lesbian relationships on reality television, Ariane’s seems sincere. And I say sincere because she hasn’t flaunted it and she’s not using it to get more camera time on “LHHATL.” (Looking at you Erica Mena.)

And just because Ariane is currently staring on a reality tv show, don’t think that she doesn’t know how audiences are tiring of them. It won’t hurt her to say this. Davis seems to be clear about the fact that reality tv is a steppingstone into other avenues, not a place for her to rest her hat. And in an interview with Rolling Out, Ariane explained her approach to appearing on camera, why it’s important not to put all of your business out there, why Mimi’s sex tape won’t ruin their friendship and why she’s keeping her relationship out of the public eye.

Why people are losing interest in reality tv shows?

“I think that it has a lot to do with people’s storylines and it not seeming as real as it was before. Things just don’t seem authentic to people anymore. And I can see why people would feel that way. I absolutely feel like oversaturation [also] has a lot to do with why people are losing attention. Nobody wants to continuously see the same thing. It’s cool at first, but you get tired and you don’t give people anything to look forward to.”

 

Maintaining Mystery

“This is why I am taking my time with really letting people get to know who Ariane is. I’m not pushing myself on people or forcing anything on people. Everything that I’m doing and how I’m marking my territory in this reality world, I’m doing it strategically and how I wanna do it. That’s what people really love about me. There’s still a mysteriousness to me and a lot of people don’t have that mystery anymore.”

 

On why Mimi’s sex tape won’t end their friendship 

“No judgment toward my friend, everybody knows I really don’t care for Nikko [but] I’ve accepted her happiness. She says she’s happy. As far as the tape goes, I still have my reservations about it. But it’s here now. It’s out there. She has to live with it. I support her as a friend. I don’t condone what happened. I don’t know if it was a mistake or if it was purposely done. My thoughts stay the same. I feel like it was definitely given to Vivid and I’m sticking to that. That’s just how I feel. But as far as Mimi goes, I feel like we all make lousy decisions sometimes and I feel like this is her one. One huge one. I hope she can make the best out of a not-so-positive situation, so to speak. I hope she can come out on top of this.”

My relationship with Mimi is not new and it’s been over 10 years that we’ve been friends,” says Davis. “I wholeheartedly know her outside of TV and outside of the aggression that everybody else sees. I know Oluremi Faust. And she’s really like my sister. I don’t think a situation like this or anything else can change how I feel about her. Of course, I have some say in how I feel about something. That doesn’t mean I’m going to turn my back on her. Never that. It can be extremely hard to maintain friendships and relationships if you don’t have that control and balance. That’s something I try to keep: control, balance, patience and no judgment. I think that helps me a lot.

 

Protecting her relationship 

My personal relationship won’t be happening on ‘Love & Hip Hop,’ ” she declares. “My personal drama with my significant other, if I have any, is mine. It’s not for anybody to see. If I have any personal drama, that’s my s—. It’s not to be shared with the world like that. I maintain my healthy relationships with privacy, control patience, balance and love.”

 

The love she gets from fans

“I get all the love in the world,” she says in regards to the public reaction. “I don’t get a lot of negative feedback at all. … People admire me even more now. Because I am so open with who I am. I don’t hide behind anything and I’m not running from myself or trying to please this person. I’m a real person. I’m not a robot. I live my life for me and not for what others think. But it feels really good to know that people recognize real people and embrace it. Girls look up to me — even if they’re not in the LGBT community. They still admire who I am. I’m still a lady and I carry myself like a lady. My sexuality doesn’t define me. I still am Ariane — I just have a girlfriend.”

 

Homophobia

“The homophobia is real. When I meet people who seem to be homophobic, they’re usually the ones who are into same sex, undercover.”

You can read the rest of Ariane’s interview, where she talks about bisexuality being a fad and what she regrets about her time on reality tv. here.

 

What do you think about the thoughts Ariane expressed in this interview and her portrayal on the show? Do you think she’s a type of role model for the way women can and should behave on television?

 

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