Since I posted the first part in my interview series with Leslie Birkland (Facebook, Twitter) from The Style Network’s (Facebook, Twitter, Website) “Big Rich Texas” (Facebook, Twitter, Website), I’ve now seen episode 3 from season 2, and the drama just seems to be swarming like bees around a hive in the land of Leslie. The final part of my interview with Leslie centers on the friend fall-out with Dr. Bon (Bonnie) Blossman (Website, Facebook, Twitter), the Tyler (Facebook, Twitter) rumor, being the primary caregiver for her Goddaughter Kalyn (Facebook, Twitter), her friendship with newest cast member DeAynni Hatley (Twitter).
Interview Part Two: Leslie Birkland
Leslie and Bonnie: Friends, enemies, or frenemies?
Ifelicious: What’s your relationship with Bonnie now? Are you guys friends?
Leslie: No, we’re not. This is the problem…I’m not supposed to say or I’ll get in big trouble…but let’s just say that I adore Bonnie, and I will always adore her. There are some things that happen in episode 3. Let’s just say this is one of those shows…if you’re Bonnie-Leslie fans then you must must watch it through the top [of] episode 5.
(Side Note- Have you seen Tyler this season? I totally like his hair and his look so much better)
Tyler, Whitney and Climbing the Social Ladder
Ifelicious: Did you tell Tyler, and maybe it wasn’t literally, ‘Go date Whitney and improve your social status,’ but was there some kind of conversation to that affect?
Leslie: Nope, never said that ever…During season 1, and this is all off-camera, Bonnie and I were talking about how it would be cute, if when Tyler comes to town, if he and Whitney got together…I did [also] tell Whitney that Tyler was coming to town, he’s pretty cute, and she might like him. I’m saying this all in front of her mother…and so that’s what sort of threw me because it was like, ‘Oh my gosh! How are you so quick to believe that [rumor]?’ Things happened between Tyler and Whitney. I only know Tyler’s side of the story…I kind of, sort of joke that if I had that kind of personality [that everyone says I have]…I certainly wouldn’t have picked Whitney…but I adore Whitney. She is like adorable and funny and, much like her mother, very very smart…Bonnie and I were even joking about how we would be like mother-in-laws, and then for it to turn around because their breakup wasn’t good.
Goddaughter Kalyn
Ifelicious: So far, with episodes 1 and 2 having aired, you tell the ladies that you plan to enter Kalyn in the Miss USA pageant. Where are things with that now?
Leslie: She holds a title right now. The last time, I trained her for a pageant, we were in Las Vegas, one year ago this month (March)…and it was actually kind of funny…the MC couldn’t make it…because there was snow on the east coast…and I ended up MCing the show without a script.
Ifelicious: I know you’re Kalyn’s Godmother, but you’re really her guardian right now. In season 1, it looked like things soured between you and her mother. Has anything changed since then?
Leslie: No. I’m trying because I look at it like this [for Kalyn]: this is your mom, these are her limitations, and you have to love her for what she simply is. We all don’t have that storybook parent…I tell Kalyn that she’s an adult now. Maybe she could start, well not start over [with her mom], but be on different footing…but she still has a lot of hurt…I’m rooting for them. I look at Carrie (Kalyn’s mom), and I know that every time I see her, she’ll have a new disease…If there’s a new disease she reads about, she’ll have it. I don’t know what you call that, but she’s trying to get some sort of sympathy; but to me, she’s a character and funny…I always liked her, and I’ve always known all these years that she’s making up stuff.
Ifelicious: Is Kalyn working and/or in school now?
Leslie: She’s doing really well in school.
Ifelicious: Oh, so she is in school?
Leslie: Yes, but this is the thing about Kalyn…her mom didn’t send her to school. I don’t know if that made it to the show from last season. She didn’t even know that school was five days a week. You see, her mom would wake up and say, ‘Oh, there’s no school today.’ So she didn’t learn how to read or write until…like fourth grade, but that’s why I admire Kalyn because she doesn’t think she is smart, but she is so smart. I mean, she reads beautifully, and she just picks up on anything…No one ever told her that ‘You are really smart,’ and so she’s doing well in school. She’s always did well in school…I’m really proud of her, and she is a hard worker.
Ifelicious: What is she studying? Has she chosen a major?
Leslie: Well, she’s just taking basic stuff…She really would like to be a pastry chef…[but] she’s [also] always doodling. She loves design, and I think that she would like to either design jewelry or design clothes…I think that she’s just sort of discovering her niche. So she’s been buying a lot of books that have to do with fashion…I’m going to encourage her, while she’s on the east coast right now, to go the Met…I think that she’s just sort of discovering her niche. So she’s been buying a lot of books that have to do with fashion.
Ifelicious: What else would you like to say about Kalyn?
Leslie: She’s unique because she’d probably survive anywhere…She’s kind of scrappy because of her upbringing, but even her language has changed. She’s just appreciating things, looking at things differently. She amazes me, and I’ve never had a daughter. I mean, she’s not my daughter, but living with another female in the house that was a whole new experience. I made a lot of mistakes and I have no doubt that I will make more mistakes. I’m not perfect.
Ifelicious: I applaud you for doing this for Kalyn. I don’t think there are a lot of people out there who would take in a teenager and commit to giving her a better life.
Newest Cast Member: DeAynni Hartley
Ifelicious: In episode 2, it looks like you’re trying to strike up a relationship with one of the newest cast members DeAynni Hartley. Is that going well?
Leslie: I don’t see her all that much…I met her at the [country] club. She did invite me to her house, and I kind of, you know, spilled my guts to her because I had no friends left. With Bonnie, I mean honestly, I cried…It’s weird to talk to somebody all the time and then have them believe something that was so outrageous and erroneous. How could you not know me? it hurt more because she must’ve thought I wasn’t forthcoming.
We’re so early into season 2 of “Big Rich Texas” that I ‘m sure more will be revealed. For now, you’re in the know when it comes to Leslie Birkland. Thanks, Leslie, for your time, and good luck with all of your new business ventures. 🙂
EXCLUSIVE!!! I’m super duper excited to tell you that I’ve been contacted to interview Leslie’s Goddaughter Kalyn Niccole tomorrow (Wed, Mar 6, 2012). If you have questions that you’d like to ask her, just leave a comment on this post. If I use your question in the writeup, you’ll get credited. ~Ifelicious
Read all of my blog posts about “Big Rich Texas” including cast interviews, by CLICKING HERE.
Related Links
- Ifelicious Thoughts– Truth or Fiction: Leslie Birkland from ‘Big Rich Texas’ sets the records straight on her finances
- MyStyle.com– Leslie lets loose about the ‘Big Rich Texas’ season premiere
- Dallas Voice– ‘Big Rich Texas’ star Leslie Birkland found house shopping in Dallas easy — with some high-end help, of course
Leslie is a complete fraud. Age 54, 2 facelifts, she had an affair with one her sons teenage friends, demolishing he marriage and family. She owns one bedroom condo and 50% of another in greater Seattle and a home in Riverside -all totals $400,000. She is a liar and a manipulative bitch who uses people.
She must have some money because she’s not
Making sqat on BRT. The pay is 2000.00
For the entire season! The show is fake and staged!
Half of the cast live in apartments! Bonnie house
is a lease and Pam is in debt and on the verge
of bankruptcy
Allie- i just interviewed Bonnie and Whitney from the show to talk about season 2 and asked about the points you made in your comment. you’ll have to read my article when it goes online, but i will tell you that at least half of what you’re stating in your comment is completely untrue. just fyi… but thanks for commenting
Is Leslie’s goddaughter Kaitlin pregnant!!!!!
I respect Leslie, but I do not respect her ungrateful “goddaughter”.Yes maybe Leslie lied and exaggerated some things at first,but what would you do on the show that called Big RICH texas??? I bet a lot of women would try to portray the image of rich woman, just to fit and it is understandable.
I respect her for the fact that she gets her business of the ground herself!She does not have a man who supports her.So maybe she knows how to manipulate people,so what?It takes some brain to do so.
As far as her goddaughter…I just dislike this girl…She is ungrateful.Leslie took her in,gave her a job, got her into school, she offers her a plastic surgery, she gets her into pageants!This is unbelievable!I am a model and in pageants and very ambitious person with no family in this country, it just makes me sick to my stomach to see girls like Kaylin.On Kaylin’s place I would be soo grateful, I would bust my butt to help Leslie!This girl wants everything given to her together with cupcakes on the silver platter.She will turn soon in the big giant cupcake,she will never lose weight no matter how many lipos she will do.I do not mean to leave hateful comments and I would never said this type of things toward bigger girls, but Kaylin deserves it.She is not a hardworking person and she has no idea what hard work is.I got no respect for this girl. Leslie needs a different type of girl,spoiled foolish Kaylin with her image like this will hurt Leslie’s business!I wish I was on Kaylin’s place.
Leslie is such a liar why did she start out sayung that she is neighbors with b.gates and saying she is worth around 100 ml dllrs her eyebrows aren;t even real they are penciled in which makes her look weird. Leslie just be real stop the fakey crap please there is too many fake people on this show . Also smack Pam for me lol
I hope pam kicks your fake ass. Your pathetic.
Woww. Alot of hate on leslie all the time. I think she’s harmless and at sweetheart at the end of the day. It’s so easy to hate on her automatically but it’s very petty and pointless. Now Pam on the other hand is a whole different story, she enjoys hurting people to boost her own ego. I do like Hannah though.
Leslie is NOT a liar. I agree with @dd, she’s a sweeheart. @julia is quite right; Kaylin is a fat unappreciative obnoxious spoiled brat. Leslie should throw her out.
Wait is it just me or has kalyn been 18 for 3 seasons?
Julia, that’s fair that you may not like Kalyn, but you cannot speak for Leslie because they are family and these relationships are very strong as far as I can tell