Dominican beauty Tahiry Jose juggles being a model, actress and an entrepreneur, and still manages to keep her cool despite her fiery relationship with rapper Joe Budden. On the new season of Love and Hip Hop, there is no shortage of drama as the bodacious video vixen creates her fitness DVD and hones her acting skills. According to Tahiry, she is her own top priority.—Megan Saad
VIBE: Do you think you’ll ever trust Joe Budden enough to be with him long-term?
Tahiry: Right now, no. The world thinks that Joey and I went back and forth for nine years [but] we didn’t. We were together five, apart for four and I gave him a chance in May [but] he fucked up. The core of every relationship is a friendship … He failed as friends a few times and now, as being together so right now, I don’t think I can.
Does Joe’s social media habits bother you?
I feel like Joey’s girlfriend is social media and then comes Tahiry. I need to be a man’s priority.
You two have been together for a long time. Will there ever be anything he could do to make you reach your ultimate breaking point where you cut all contact?
It already did. Just tune in Monday nights. What happens is that we women go through stages,from anger to hurt, pain to “I don’t give a fuck” to “I’m over it.” I was going through a lot last season. Love and Hip Hop wound up being my therapy. I didn’t know that I had this baggage and that I was this hurt and angry. I gave him this chance, I did the best I could do and I’m ok with that. That was the best thing I could have ever did was trying it again because I don’t have questions about anything. You could ask me if Joe and I will have a future, I can’t tell you. God has a funny sense of humor. Today, I’m ok with being his friend.
Have you been dating anyone else other than Joe in the meantime?
I try to get to know certain individuals. I’m focused a lot on work. My schedule is intense so it’s really hard. Me trying to get to know somebody is having to be with them for two days straight because then I won’t see them again for another month. So how can you really build off of that? It gets kind of frustrating sometimes, but I’ve got to focus on Tahiry. Every time I go with my heart, it took me nowhere but heartache so I think with my brain a lot. I have responsibilities, I have a family; I have things that I have to do for myself. I’ve lived my ex’s dream for a long time so now it’s time for me to live mine.
Do you think that LHHNY puts other men off when they see how you and Joe are together?
Abso-fucking-lutely! Do you not understand the last season? The minute the show aired, people were banging their phones like ‘Yo you love this man. Look at the way you look at him.’ It’s a lot. It’s like you have to bring a boo to work day for them to understand your work. We filmed this six months ago but [the audience is] just starting to see the episode. It’s hard, period, even with friends. Friends are like you have no time for me and I’m like if you were around me for a day, you’d understand. So I guess I’m probably going to be single for a long time and Joey loves that. Joey would tweet his ass off on purpose the minute he sees that I’m not paying him no mind.
There was a Breakfast Club interview where Joe talked about breaking into your house and hiding under the bed.
Joey wants to do what Joey wants to do. If Tahiry’s single then it’s cool, but the minute he smells that Tahiry’s on to something, then he gets involved. It’s kind of like, how selfish are you? Go rap.
Check out VH1′s Love & Hip-Hop: New York every Monday at 8 p.m. EST.
Photo Credit: Getty