Flower power

“Well behaved women rarely make history” is the tagline on her MySpace page, and there is little doubt Daisy De La Hoya has been naughty. The girl who almost won Bret Michaels’ heart on the second season of VH1’s Rock of Love recently posted some racy pics online which caused a small commotion on the Internet. The stripper-turned-reality star will host an Independence Day party at Pangaea in Ventura on July 5 and a fashion show at Hush on Aug. 15.

The Independence Day shindig could present an ideal opportunity for De La Hoya to redeem herself for her rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” on Rock of Love, which she caught some flak for. Then again, De La Hoya could make a career out of righting all her alleged wrongs since hitting the big time as a reality TV star. Other than Tiffany “New York” Pollard from Flavor of Love, no VH1 celebutant has elicited as much attention: From her co-stars to entertainment bloggers and television viewers, everyone seems to have an opinion about Daisy.

“I opened myself up and people took cheap shots at me,” she says. “They criticized me and said horrible things.”

Indeed, De La Hoya has spent more time defending herself in the past year than her uncle, Oscar De La Hoya, has during his entire boxing career. Fortunately, she can take it. “I’m a strong person.”

She may be strong — she has been fending for herself since the age of 15 — but there is a fragility about De La Hoya that, along with a hot, if slightly, um, enhanced body, is likely to blame for the public’s fascination with her. But, unlike many of her reality peers, Daisy’s histrionics were not manufactured. “I’m an emotional person and I don’t think that’s a negative thing,” she says. “I think it’s a beautiful, wonderful thing.” But she admits there is a flip side. “I’m gonna do what I wanna do and if you don’t like it, I don’t care.”

Prior to her stint on VH1, Daisy played bass with a goth band from Denver called Seraphim Shock, the pet project of her ex-boyfriend (read: svengali) Charles Edward, who was unfairly maligned on the show. De La Hoya’s association with the band earned her an endorsement deal with Daisy Rock Girl Guitars. Though she is no longer performing with the band, she is in the process of establishing herself as a solo artist. De La Hoya took the stage for the first time last week in Los Angeles, her birthplace and current city of residence.

Immersed in punk rock culture from a young age, music is De La Hoya’s first love, and she looks to female artists such as Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Madonna for inspiration.

“They’re feminine and beautiful and strong, and I guess that’s sort of what I want to portray,” she says. De La Hoya will be in the studio to record a few songs next month, with a full album planned for a fall release.

Music isn’t the only thing on her heart. De La Hoya wants to pursue acting, and she even has plans for a book. Daily journaling, which she finds therapeutic, and a love for reading (something that surprises even her) has her itching to tell her story in print.

As viewers will attest to, her time on VH1 was emotionally and sometimes physically demanding. “I’ve been through physical hell, mental ups and downs, and I really think it’s kind of sad. Love shouldn’t be about that. Apparently, it takes a lot to love Bret Michaels.” While her heartbreak was real, De La Hoya is not on the rebound. Rumors that she is dating Dave Navarro are unfounded; they’re just friends. “I’ve been in relationships for a good part of my life and I’m just excited to be single and free.”

Despite all the tumult, the reality TV experience was a positive one that left De La Hoya somewhat self-realized.

Having previously battled social anxiety, she is no longer uncomfortable in public. “It’s a wonderful thing when you can get to that point in your life where you don’t care what people think.” She’s found the book The Secret to be useful as she maps new ground in her life. “It helps me to be focused on how I want to conduct my life and create energy around me that’s positive.”

De La Hoya may not have made history yet, but she certainly plans to. With a packed calendar and a new fan base, the 25-year-old is confident she is exactly where she is supposed to be. “This is just the infant stage of making my mark on the industry of pop culture.”   

 
Daisy De La Hoya hosts Pangaea’s Independence Day Party on July 5. 1644 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 641-1500. For more info, visit www.myspace.com/sixteen1644.