By: Lucy Mazzucco

This weekend, I had a chance to chat with Brandon Brutality about upcoming projects, along with the struggle to escape his MTV image and the title of being a reality TV star.

In 2012, Brandon was cast in MTV’s 27^th season of The Real World in St. Thomas and got to experience the ups and downs of being in the limelight along with having cameras follow his every move. Currently, he is facing the struggle of escaping from Brandon Kane, the housemate portrayed on the series and is focusing on his identity as Brandon Brutality; a writer, model and musician.

Naturally, my first question to Brandon was whether he was pursuing further opportunities with MTV and if he still held onto and cherished his title as a Real World cast member. “It’s hard when you start out with reality television, because after that, it feels like you’re trying to salvage your 15 minutes of fame,” said Brandon. “I spent my whole life being bullied, spent a few years being homeless and I was in a dark place. MTV has always portrayed beautiful people and I never truly felt that I was one.”

Upon speaking to him about his modeling career, he went on to explain that it happened unexpectedly. “It started out when my friend bought a camera. It began accidentally. My modeling means everything to me because I’m not attractive. I always felt like the ugly duckling growing up and to me modeling was a form of redemption. It made me feel good because it allowed me to accept my flaws,” said Brandon. “I don’t want a perfect body. My tattoos represent an art form that I’m covered with just as a canvas would be. I’m a beautiful nightmare and I’ve got a big heart. The world paints such an unfair picture of what beauty is. I speak for the underdog.”

Brandon then discussed his views on hate vs. love and talked about how he has kept a journal throughout his entire life. For those of you who watched his season, you may remember the infamous journal that he brought with him which he used to document his experiences in the house. This wasn’t new for him, though. Growing up, Brandon used writing as an escape; a way to pour out his emotions and opinions in a poetic manner. Upon being asked who inspired him, he said, “To me, someone who is inspirational isn’t a superhero. It’s the everyday kid; the one who goes to school every day and works hard to eventually provide for a family. Good moms and dads are inspirational.”

For a published model covered in tattoos, I had to inquire about how his love for tattoos began. “To me, people like Tommy Lee and Marilyn Manson were people I looked up to growing up. Travis Barker is another one. He changed my life. I just wanted to be beautiful and I saw men like these who were lanky and tattooed. They were weird, but they were talented and educated. Everybody loved them for who they were. They made me understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

I then proceeded to inquire about his palm tattoos, which have gotten a lot of buzz on his Instagram page. “I have the Alpha symbol on one hand and the Omega symbol on the other. No matter what culture or religion a person is, the bottom line is that they search for a God. Everyone seeks their creator, but I believe that each person is the creator and destroyer of their own world. Everything I build, I destroy and everything I destroy, I rebuild.”

Although Brandon has been working hard on his upcoming projects and focusing on his modeling career, he had one last comment about how he was portrayed on television. “At the end of the day, the way they portrayed me in my last episode on The Real World was honest. Some people looked up to me on television for strength and then they saw me slip up. People struggling with addictions need to understand that they will forever be an addict and they will forever have their slip ups. You just have to take it day by day and try to get through it.”

For updates from Brandon Brutality, follow him on Twitter.