Aubrey O'Day

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Biography

'''Aubrey Morgan O'Day''' (born February 11, 1984) is an American singer, actress, fashion designer, television personality, and former member of the girl group Danity Kane . Following discord among the group and with her mentor at the time, P. Diddy , O'Day was fired from the group in 2008. She has since signed a solo record deal and made numerous appearances on reality television shows, including being on the Celebrity Apprentice in 2012.

O'Day has also modeled for magazines such as Blender (magazine)|Blender and Playboy , and has performed on Broadway theatre|Broadway in Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray .

Early life

O'Day began performing at age five. "I lived on the stage, and even at six, slept behind the seats of the theatre," she stated in an interview. According to her mother, when O'Day was four, she was at a performance of The Nutcracker and started to cry. Her mother asked her what was wrong and O'Day replied, "I'm sad that I'm sitting here and not up on stage." O'Day recalls that moment as the one in which she "officially" realized her love for entertainment.

O'Day played lead characters in various musical productions, including Dorothy in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|The Wizard of Oz , Carmen in Fame (musical)|Fame , Sandy in Grease (musical)|Grease , Liesl in The Sound of Music , Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof , and Mimi in Rent (musical)|Rent . She also appeared in Annie (musical)|Annie . O'Day's childhood leaned heavily toward auditions and acting gigs more than school."I never really went to school," she joked. "I was in and out of auditioning." quoted in Blender Magazine The Notorious B.I.G. and Sean Combs|Sean "Puffy" Combs were her primary influences as a child.

O'Day attended La Quinta High School (La Quinta, California)|La Quinta High School in the early 2000s. She later majored in political science and drama before dropping out without a degree from University of California, Irvine , and is a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority.

Career

2004–08: Making the Band 3 and Danity Kane

O'Day was discovered in 2004 on the MTV Reality television|reality show Making the Band#Making The Band 3: Danity Kane|Making the Band 3 , founded by Sean "Diddy" Combs, and emerged as the show's breakout star. During Season 2 of Making the Band 3 while the competition was still ongoing, Blender magazine contacted O'Day to pose for their September 2005 issue. The magazine described her as the contestant "who bared calm resolve and tanned hip bones in beating out almost 10,000 girls for the chance at singing and strutting in a P. Diddy–steered girl group". O'Day expressed anxiety about competing to be in the group. "I’ve been in the ‘cut’ situation several times," she stated. "It’s hard to stand in a room and know that the dream I want is all in hands." O'Day had dropped out of college in order to participate in the competition.
After seeing her dance, Combs was convinced that O'Day had " African American|Black in her family" and further expressed this sentiment after watching her sing a version of " At Last " at a club during Season 1 of the show. This, along with what viewers saw as natural charisma, helped endear her to become a consistent favorite among judges and fans. Former Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync manager Johnny Wright (music manager)|Johnny Wright , who served as one of the judges on the show, stated from her first audition in Los Angeles they knew that she was "a star"."We knew from that first audition this girl’s a star," he said. "There’s something about her eyes—she’s almost hypnotic." Johnny Wright quoted in Blender Magazine" "It’s extreme," O'Day relayed of the competition. "There’s a lot of ‘I love to be in the spotlight’ types—including myself." In response to being told that Combs wanted the type of stars who were stars when they were age 2, O'Day stated, "Well, I was Aubrey when I was 2. A diva from the beginning."

O'Day was eventually chosen to be in the group, and was the first member included. The band became known as Danity Kane, and their first album debuted on August 22, 2006, at #1 on the Billboard 200| Billboard 200 charts. The group was the opening act for Christina Aguilera on the United States|U.S. leg of her Back to Basics Tour with the Pussycat Dolls .

O'Day's fame and physical features found appealing by magazines helped her broaden her career beyond the group. Making the Band / The Rise and Fall of Danity Kane , MTV (2009-04-30). Retrieved on 2009-04-30. In addition to other musical projects, she posed for several "sexy" magazine spreads. On the August 28, 2008, episode of Making the Band , due to being consistently frustrated with O'Day's "oversexed" new image, Combs called O'Day "one of the worst dancers" in Danity Kane. Making the Band , MTV (2008-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-10-16. He told O'Day that she no longer looked like the girl he signed and that she used to be one of the best. Combs bluntly accused O'Day of trying to expand her fame at the expense of the entire group, and that she liked flaunting her breasts and wearing big hair & mdash; referring to an incident where she had rubbed her cleavage on the arm of a television host. Furious, Combs asked himself on television why he was keeping O'Day in the group.

On the October 7, 2008, episode of Making the Band , after continued debate with O'Day about the well-being of the group, Combs declared O'Day no longer a member of Danity Kane. An official announcement, however, had not been made from Bad Boy Records . When asked by Boston Herald whether she was still in the group, O'Day was reluctant to answer and stated, "I can’t comment on anything, I’m sorry."

Speculation arose that Combs firing O'Day was a ratings ploy and that he had no intention of truly dismissing her. When discussing her career, O’Day would still refer to herself as a "member of a girl band" and "the official party girl of Danity Kane". On the October 14, 2008, episode of Making the Band , however, Danity Kane#Departures of Aubrey O.27Day and D. Woods|O'Day's departure from the group was confirmed , as well as bandmate and then-best friend D. Woods . In the live section of the episode, Combs explained that the reason he let O'Day go was that she was not the same person he signed, that the fame had changed her. Making the Band , MTV (2008-10-14). Retrieved on 2008-10-14. When O'Day came on to reply, she stated: "I would rather be hated every damn day of my life for being real than loved for being something I'm not." In a backstage interview before the finale, she said:

Tonight is a representation of the end of a chapter in my life; it's not the end of the book. I will do everything possible to make my mark on this industry, and Danity Kane and Combs provided me with this amazing opportunity to go out and really touch people's hearts. I think the way that we were able to inspire people was something that I will never be able to achieve in that way again in my life.

MTV News gauged fan reactions to the dismissals of O'Day and Woods. Fans left impassioned, long and detailed comments on the MTV News site about their discontent regarding the group's breakup. The 2009 season of Making the Band was expected to include new members auditioning as "replacements" for O'Day and Woods in Danity Kane, but instead showed the official end of the group. The complete breakup of the group was originally thought to be the result of O'Day and Woods, along with group member Shannon Bex , declining the offer to return to the series and the group. This was later argued by O'Day, who stated that while she was unsure if Woods was asked back, she herself was not asked to return. O'Day said that if offered, she would have returned and is not against returning. She was officially released from her Bad Boy Records contract by Combs in the April 16, 2009, episode of Making the Band . Making the Band , MTV (2009-04-16). Retrieved on 2009-04-16.

In the April 23, 2009, finale of the show, O'Day returned with three former members of the group to clear up any misconceptions about the group's breakup. Making the Band , MTV (2009-04-23). Retrieved on 2009-04-23. She said that she has forgiven being released from the group, and people who blamed her for the group's demise. Combs said that if he ever puts the group back together, O'Day and the group's other four members would be returning as Danity Kane.

2008–present: Solo career and return to reality television

O'Day landed the role of Amber Von Tussle in the Broadway musical Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray on July 16, 2008. She appeared in the 2009 comedy American High School (film)|American High School costarring Nikki Ziering , and is currently reading scripts for consideration in starring in feature films. Recently, she has been pursuing a solo music career, and has been in the studio with Shanell Woodgette, as well as producer Maestro (producer)|Maestro , recording a remastered version of Sharam 's remix hit " Party All the Time ". She released a track titled "Never Fallin", and also joined the cast of Jerry Mitchell 's musical Peepshow (burlesque)|Peepshow in the role of "Peep Diva" at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas Strip|Las Vegas , Nevada from September 2009 to late December 2009. Additionally, O'Day was featured on Donnie Wahlberg single "I Got It."

On the April 23, 2009, finale of Making the Band , O'Day revealed that she would have her own reality television show for which she would be filming in the spring of 2010. The show entitled All About Aubrey premiered on March 7, 2011, on the Oxygen (TV channel)|Oxygen Network . http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1644025/20100720/index.jhtml http://all-about-aubrey.oxygen.com/about-aaa O'Day's debut single, the Adonis Shropshire|Adonis -produced "Automatic" was released on April 12, 2011. http://www.aubreyoday.com/wordpress/? p=1612 O'Day recorded over 50 songs for her debut album on SRC/Universal Motown, which will come out in late 2012. http://www.billboard.com/news/aubrey-o-day-to-drop-automatic-debut-single-1005111772.story#/news/aubrey-o-day-to-drop-automatic-debut-single-1005111772.story http://www.rap-up.com/2011/04/05/aubrey-oday-signs-solo-deal-readies-debut-single/ On a video released on UStream, O'Day told her fans she's releasing an EP. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=TpfhwgKFKLk

O'Day was also fired from Donald Trump's The Apprentice (U.S. season 12)| The Celebrity Apprentice 5 , which premiered on February 19, 2012. Before being fired, O'Day received a significant amount of criticism for her conduct while competing on the show, being described as "narcissistic, self-centered, evil, and vicious" by the media and viewers of the show, and as "transparent" by Trump's judges. It eventually caused Arsenio Hall to lash out on her in the show's boardroom segment, berating her with the support of his entire team, particularly Clay Aiken . This left O'Day in tears and contemplating to quit the show before eventually being fired by Trump. http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/aubrey-oday-arsenio-hall-called-me-a-whore-201244 http://www.eonline.com/news/watch_with_kristin/shes_baaack_celebrity_apprentices_evil/306074 http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2012/04/02/aubrey-oday-quitting-celebrity-apprentice-rumors/? v02 O'Day ultimately decided to remain on the series, and although she accepted an apology from Hall, she has expressed her dislike of him in multiple confessionals, labeling him and Aiken as "bullies". http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2012/04/celebrity_apprentice_recap_3.html She ended up 3rd place and was the last contestant eliminated before the final for being inexperienced and transparent.

On April 23, 2012. A new self-released single "Wrecking Ball," co-written and co-produced by "American Idol" alum Pia Toscano was released on itunes. The song, sold 3,000 downloads in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Other work

In 2006, O'Day ranked #86 on '' Maxim (magazine)|Maxim 's Hot 100 list, #81 on Blender's'' 100 Hottest People list, and posed for the magazines. She walked the Runway (fashion)#Catwalk|catwalk at Heatherette 's Fall 2007 runway show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week held on February 6, and recorded a song with R& B singer Cupid (R& B singer)|Cupid written and produced by D. Harold; Mischke, and T. Thomas, whose title is "Do Yo Dance" and was the new single from Cupid's album Time for a Change (album)|Time for a Change .

In January 2008, O'Day briefly became the face of Famous Stars and Straps . She later made a cameo appearance in Estelle (musician)|Estelle 's music video for " Pretty Please (Love Me)|Pretty Please " in August 2008. Further utilizing her success, she started her own clothing line called Heart on My Sleeve , which features T-shirts and accessories available only online. She posed topless for men's magazine Complex (magazine)|Complex , their November 2008 issue. The publication stated, "With all due respect to the other girls in Danity Kane, it's easy to see why built his group around Aubrey O'Day. Simply put, Aubrey is that chick: the stunner who attracts paparazzi and Broadway producers alike, and the talent least likely to fall into post-reality-show abyss." The magazine additionally commented on the animosity O'Day receives from several outlets, such as blog sites, as well as from Internet forum|message board fans, who have come to despise the attention she attracts from the media and the current image she has crafted of herself.

In late 2008, O'Day made a guest appearance on the reality show 50 Cent: The Money and the Power . She later agreed to be the covergirl for Playboy for the March 2009 issue. Additionally, she has been featured on the covers of Jadore , Image , Palm Springs Life , King (magazine)|King , Right On! , Dub and Envy . She has done features for GQ , In Touch Weekly and Us Weekly .

Personal life and activism

After graduating from high school and deciding to go to University of California Irvine, O'Day spent a semester at sea. She worked with service organizations while touring in different countries, as well as refugee centers, orphanages, and mostly with children with AIDS . She volunteered for the The Pink Project (a charity photobook supporting RAINN and the Los Angeles Breast Cancer Alliance), and helped victims of the Hurricane Katrina devastation. O'Day soon created her own organization, called F*A*N (Fighting Aids Now)."I loved every minute of it and thus found my second passion to performing...charity!" @ www.aubreyoday.com The charity's goal is to give therapy and art to children in hospitals.

While competing to be in the band, O'Day formed a strong connection with fellow contestant Aundrea Fimbres . The two made it through two seasons together, and gained a large and loyal fanbase before Combs chose them to be in the group, O'Day first and Fimbres last. Viewers named the two "the AUs" and "Aubrea" ( portmanteau|portmanteux of their first names put together), and O'Day declared Fimbres her best friend in the Season 2 finale of the series. O'Day even got Danity Kane's bar code s from their albums tattooed on the back of her neck. O'Day's friendship with Fimbres, however, later became distant. Making the Band , MTV (2008-10-07). Retrieved on 2008-10-07. As of 2010, O'Day and Fimbres have reunited on numerous occasions and have claimed to have always been friends.

On The Wendy Williams Show on August 12, 2008, O'Day stated that she previously dated DJ Cassidy. She dispelled rumors of ever having plastic surgery or dating boss Sean Combs. In addition, she declared then-bandmate D. Woods her best friend and porn legend Jenna Jameson one of her good friends.Aubrey O'Day, Wendy Williams (radio host)|The Wendy Williams Show (2008-08-12). Retrieved on 2008-10-09. In September 2008, she told Complex that she likes to watch porn as a hobby and that her favorite porn star is Jameson.

In an August 2008 interview with Broadway.com, O'Day stated she was increasingly irritated with people pigeonholing her sexuality; stating that she looks for "incredible passion and honest love" and not at gender. Quote: "...Because at this point in my life I wouldn't say one way or another what my preference is sexually. The only thing I'm looking for in life is incredible passion and honest love, and if that's with a girl, a guy, a guy that dresses like a girl, a girl that dresses like a guy, whatever the options are on the table, all I really operate on is the way I feel in my heart when it comes to love." On December 15, 2008, Fox News Channel|Fox News reported that O'Day attended a party accompanied with her girlfriend/lover, according to an anonymous friend in attendance. When questioned by Us Weekly|UsMagazine.com regarding the gay rumors, O'Day did not confirm or deny the speculation about her sexuality, and once again stated that she could not say "one way or another" what her sexual orientation is at this point in her life.
In 2009, while on the show Chelsea Lately , when asked about being Bisexuality|bisexual , she replied, "Generally, I don't like to label myself... I want to find someone I'm passionate about, and I don't want to limit myself to one segment of the population."Aubrey O'Day, Chelsea Lately (2009-02-16). Retrieved on 2009-02-22.

During the 2008 United States presidential election, 2008|presidential election campaign in the United States, O'Day supported Barack Obama for President.She is also a gay rights advocate and chose the "Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)" as her charity for Celebrity Apprentice. On April 22, 2012 she won a task as Project Manager for tream Unanimous, which had created a Macy's display for Donald Trump's new fragrance, Success. She collected $50,000 for her charity for winning over rival team Forte led by Clay_aiken|Clay Aiken .
O'Day finished in third place on Celebrity Apprentice, the episode airing May 13th, 2012. Trump fired her for being "inexperienced" and "transparent," the latter term also made during interview evaluations by Celebrity Apprentice 4 finalists Marlee Matlin and John Rich. According to HuffPost TV, Trump may have equated the term transparent with O'Day's having been "very abrasive and opinionated" during many Celebrity Apprentice 5 episodes.

Discography

Solo Singles:

2011: "Automatic"

2012: "Wrecking Ball"

Filmography

Film
Year	Film	Role	Notes
2009	American High School	Hilary Weiss	Lead role
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005–2006	Making The Band 3	Herself	Winner
2008	Making The Band 4	Herself	Guest Star
2008	The Short-e Show	Herself
2008	50 Cent: The Money and the Power	Herself	1 Episode
2009	Chelsea Lately	Herself	1 Episode
2009	Keeping Up with the Kardashians	Herself	1 Episode
2009	Cribs	Herself	1 Episode
2009	'' It's On with Alexa Chung	Herself	2 Episodes
2008–2012	The Wendy Williams Show	Herself	3 Episodes
2010	When I Was 17	Herself	1 Episode
2010	Double Exposure	Herself	1 Episode
2010	Silent Library	Herself	1 Episode
2010	Running Russell Simmons	Herself	1 Episode
2011	'' The Mo'Nique Show	Herself	1 Episode
2011	All About Aubrey	Herself (Main Character)	All Episodes
2011	Hair Battle Spectacular	Herself	1 Episode
2012	The Celebrity Apprentice	Herself	3rd Place
2012	Styled By June	Herself	1 Episode
2012	Fashion Police	Herself	1 Episode
2012	"Late Night Show With Jay Leno"	Herself	1 Episode
Stage
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Hairspray	Amber Von Tussle	Broadway
2009	Peepshow	Peep Diva	Las Vegas

Copyright Citations

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1. Danity Kane

Urban/R&B Music Artists