Tila Tequila takes a careful 2nd ‘Shot at Love’

MTV star almost passed on 2nd season because she was ‘still healing’

Peter Kramer / AP	MTV star Tila Tequila says she almost passed on doing a second season of her reality show, "A Shot at Love."

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updated 8:20 p.m. ET May 22, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Tila Tequila blames the media and her paramour’s interest in self-promotion for her breakup, and says she was much more guarded during her second “Shot at Love” on MTV.

Tequila told The Associated Press in a recent interview that first-season winner Bobby Banhart never met her parents and the two steadily fell out of touch. She announced their breakup last December.

“I felt like he was starting to get caught up more in the Hollywood world,” said the diminutive MySpace and reality star. “Because when we were talking, he was just talking about meeting with agents and getting his own reality show, and meeting with managers. Of course I was happy for him, but at the same time I thought that was really weird. Because if that’s what you were doing, then why didn’t you mention that while we were shooting? It was just odd to me. Unfortunately it didn’t work out.”

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Tequila, whose real last name is Nguyen, said that “the media also makes it hard on us. The media says something about him, and he retaliates, and I’m like ’That’s not how it was.’ And it ends up being, like, unfortunate.”

New episodes of “A Shot at Love II with Tila Tequila” are now airing Tuesdays on MTV.

Tequila told AP that at first she didn’t want to shoot a second season, “because I was still healing.”

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“But at the same time, I felt like, well in order to get over stuff, it’s kind of good to start socializing again, and not give up. I don’t want to close up my heart. It’s good to keep it open.

“It took me so long to open up like that. My whole life I’ve been closed up. It feels good. Even though you get your heart broken, it’s good to be in touch with your feelings.”

Tequila said she’s been bisexual her whole life, and the show features 16 men (often with their shirts off) and 16 women (often in skimpy outfits) competing in stunts to win Tequila’s affection.

Tequila said she’s more cautious now about their motives.

“This time around, I’m a lot more guarded. I’m a lot more observant of everyone and what they’re doing here,” she said. “Last season I was a lot more nicer, and this time I’ll tell you, ’If you’re not here for the right reasons, get the hell out. Stop wasting my time.’ Because I really am not putting up with that this season.”