Christina Salgado is a star. Her fiery personality and stunning looks will make her the center of attention on the upcoming season of Bad Girls Club: Cabo, which premiers July 9 on Oxygen. But while the Puerto Rican/Brazillian beauty is enjoying all of the attention she’s been getting from the show, dudes hoping to bag her should think twice before giving aspiring model the star treatment when they see her out. Fresh off the plane from LA, the Jersey City, NJ representative talked to XXLmag.com about her time on the show, her relationship with her fellow cast mates and why she prefers guys who give her a “challenge.” – Calvin Stovall (@calvinstovall)

XXLMag.com: Why’d you decide to go on The Bad Girls Club?

Christina Salgado: My whole thing is I was already trying to model before. And I just felt like going on this show where they have like thousands of viewers, and I know this show is big and it’s helped some of the other girls. So, I was like, “You know what? Let me send in my pictures and see what they say.”

And what did they say?

They just loved me from the start. They sent me to LA, so I decided to go out and do the show. Because then it opens doors. So that’s basically why I did it. I wanted to model, I wanted to be on TV, I wanted to kind of get noticed and be in the scene and be on the night scene and meet a lot of different people. So I thought it’d just kind of be a good move for me to do.

Are you happy with how the experience went?

I feel like so far, so good. I just came back from LA today. I just spoke to the producers, and they’re trying to still put me on projects and still call me out to do more commercials. So I’m like, “OK, it’s kind of working out, you know?”

How was Cabo? Mexico is kind of crazy right now.

Most of the Bad Girls Clubs they never filmed outside of the U.S. So this was big, and on top of that, we’re in a whole ‘nother place. So you know we’re acting a fool. You’re like, “I don’t know nobody here, these people are so different from me.” So the club scene was definitely a hot mess, we were dressing any way we wanted. I mean, Mexico was hot.

You take anybody home from the clubs?

The guys, we weren’t so much feeling the guys. If you get a dude who actually knows how to speak English over there, it’s some little corny tourist dude. Some of the girls got thirsty, they would bring wack dudes home. I wasn’t beat, I didn’t need to be hungry like that… I didn’t have to (have sex) I’m not thirsty. I’m probably one of the better looking chicks on the show. They were bringing home the most crustiest niggas and they were so suped about it.

What did you do when you got approached out there?

I just use it for what it’s worth at that point. But not to the point where they’re coming home.

What’s it worth? A couple drinks?

Yeah, that’s it. There was even one night I got like $160, that’s definitely gonna make an episode. I just got a dude for what it’s worth. You’re not coming home with me, you don’t have what it takes. I’m good, I’m not that thirsty. Thanks for the drink, thanks for the champagne and the money, goodbye. But the other girls were so worried about bringing the dudes home and showing the camera like, “look, I got a dude to come home.” Like, really? (Laughs)

You let dudes trick off like that in real life, too?

If I’m not feeling you, and I know more likely than not I’m never gonna see you again, I’m good. You wanna show off? I’ll let you show off. Spend your money, go ahead. Make yourself feel good for the night because I’m definitely not gonna talk to you again. I’ll let you feel like a man, though.

But you don’t do that to dudes you’re actually interested in.

That’s different, though. That’s where I’ll respect them a little bit more and I’m not really trying to play them at this point. I’m like, “OK, you can get me a drink. I’ll probably get you the next one." Cause I’m not like that, I don’t need to gold dig.

What kind of dude will you get the next one for?

I’m not even gonna say it’s about looks and how much money you have. You just can’t seem desperate, you can’t be thirsty. Give me my little bit of attention, but fall back a little bit, have confidence in yourself, don’t be all over me. Because at the same time, I’m a really pretty girl so you’re one of the many dudes that are gonna be thirsty for me. But if you show me that you’re not, it’s kind of like, “Oh damn, well who are you? Why are you not so thirsty right now? Hold up.” So give me a tiny bit of a challenge.

They’re billing you as a star this season.

I feel like, for the most part, I might be somewhat of a little star on the show. There were like one or two other girls that were kind of getting their shine, but at least I’m kind of in that category right now. So I’m kind of happy about that. Some of the girls fell towards the back.

What makes a reality star?

You can’t be in the background. It’s sad, but you only have limited camera time. The camera isn’t gonna be there forever, you’re filming for but so long. So you need to take that shine whenever you can get it. So for me, I barely sit home, I don’t let anyone punk me out, I did my thing, I always look good on TV. I feel like they know what it is (laughs). As conceited as that sounds.

How did you get along with the other Bad Girls?

Of course there was a lot of fights, cause there’s seven girls in one house and we don’t know each other, we don’t have our cell phones, we don’t have TV. I feel like they were a little thirsty for attention. They got a little ratchet, they tried to start problems. They were trying to like, rain on my parade because I was always looking good, I was always going out. They tried to come in my face with problems, but I flipped it and I turned around being really tough on top of that. You gave me more camera time and more shine, so that’s what I’m the star for. Cause I wasn’t taking no one’s shit.

Where did you get that “no-shit taking” attitude?

I live in Jersey City. It’s a little hood. It depends where you grow up. I grew up with an all Puerto Rican family, kind of a little ghetto. But fortunately for me, I didn’t come out looking ratchet— I’m a very attractive woman and I know how to carry myself. So I guess people tend to get it twisted and go, “Look, another pretty girl to mess with,” and then I just turn around and flip it like that. And they’re like, “Wow, it’s like a whole ‘nother person.” I’m like— what do you call that— a ticking time bomb? I’m just waiting to pop off on someone who messes with me. So every time it would happen (in the house) I would just pop off. And it got to the point that girls were not even trying (to mess with me) anymore.

You ever have to pop off on any dudes?

No. I’ll get him back in my little ways, but I will not pop off because he will beat my ass! I’m not that stupid (laughs).

What are your ways for getting them back?

Like, OK, you wanna be cute? If I feel like he did something enough to the point where I need to hit him trying to hurt him, I’ll probably just crush his pride. Be seen around with another dude and make him feel stupid. Because, obviously if I wanna hit him, it’s cause he did something he shouldn’t have been doing.

What’s your love life like right now?

Well, I’m young. I have my guys, I’m doing my thing. But I feel as though I don’t need any guy right now. It’s not like I’m gold digging anyone, it’s not like I’m relying on a man. I’m just doing my thing. Along the way I see guys here and there, mess around a little bit, but it’s nothing serious for me. I’m not really even worried about them at this point. This is my shine point, I’m waiting for my show to come out I’m not really worried about them right now.

When it finally does come out you’re gonna have a lot of dudes coming at you.

Yeah, it’s gonna be even worse. I’ve always had guys, but I know after this and once I hit the club scene and I start showing up to places, it’s gonna be crazy. But I’m ready for that and I just gotta like get away from these thirsty ass dudes now (laughs)… It’s definitely gonna change, though. Cause, after you’re on a show— especially a show like that— you get noticed. People start to talk about you. They know who you are when you walk down the street. So, it’s gonna be different. It’s gonna be a different club scene for me now, it’s gonna be different going outside. My Twitter’s already different. I don’t get any mentions from any of my friends or family. It’s like, straight fans all day… It already started, just because of one little preview that they showed on TV for the new season.

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