Aubrey O'Day
Encyclopedia
Aubrey Morgan O'Day is an American singer, actress, fashion designer, television personality, and former member of the girl group
Danity Kane
. On an October 2008 episode of the reality show Making the Band
, O'Day was declared no longer a member of the girl group.
O'Day has also modeled for magazines such as Blender
and Playboy
, and has performed on Broadway
in Hairspray
.
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 Wizard of Oz
, Carmen in Fame
, Sandy in Grease
, Liesl in The Sound of Music
, Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof
, and Mimi in Rent
. She also appeared in Annie
. O'Day's childhood leaned heavily toward auditions and acting gigs more than school. The Notorious B.I.G.
and Sean "Puffy" Combs
were her primary influences as a child.
O'Day attended La Quinta High School
in the early 2000s. She later majored in political science
and drama at the University of California, Irvine
, and was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega
sorority.
reality show
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 [Combs’s] hands." O'Day had dropped out of college in order to participate in the competition. She had been thinking of attending Columbia Law
.
After seeing her dance, Combs was convinced that O'Day had "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, 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". "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
charts. The group was the opening act for Christina Aguilera
on the 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. 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. 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 — 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, O'Day's departure from the group was confirmed, as well as fellow 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. 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:
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.
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. 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.
musical Hairspray
on July 16, 2008. She appeared in the 2009 comedy 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 Grammy Award
-winning 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
in the role of "Peep Diva" at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in 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 Network
.
O'Day's debut single, the Adonis
-produced "Automatic" was released on April 12, 2011. It is reported that O'Day recorded over 50 songs for her debut album on SRC/Universal Motown, that will come out later in 2011.
's Hot 100 list, #81 on Blender's 100 Hottest People list, and posed for the magazines. She walked the 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 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
.
In January 2008, O'Day briefly became the face of Famous Stars and Straps
. She later made a cameo appearance in Estelle
's music video for "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, their November 2008 issue. The publication stated, "With all due respect to the other girls in Danity Kane, it's easy to see why [Combs] 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 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
, Right On!
, Dub and Envy. She has done features for GQ, In Touch Weekly
and Us Weekly
.
centers, orphanages, and mostly with children with AIDS
. She volunteered as a Big Sister to an organization called Pink Project, and helped victims of the Hurricane Katrina
devastation. Motivated by her passion for charity, O'Day soon created her own organization, called F*A*N (Fighting Aids Now). 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" (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 codes from their albums tattooed on the back of her neck. O'Day's friendship with Fimbres, however, later became distant. As of 2010, O'Day and Fimbres have reunited on numerous occasions and have claimed to have always been friends. O'Day has also been best friends with another Making the Band 3 contestant, Melissa Molinaro
, who appeared with O'Day on the MTV Show Exposed, and were last seen on screen together in the VH1
pilot The Aubrey O'Day Show, which was picked up by the Oxygen Network
instead. On the show, they had an onscreen falling out and seem to no longer be friends but have recently seemed to have rekindled their friendship.
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. 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. On December 15, 2008, Fox News
reported that O'Day attended a party accompanied with her girlfriend/lover, according to an anonymous friend in attendance. When questioned by 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 preference is at this point in her life.
In 2009, while on the show Chelsea Lately
, when asked about being 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."
During the 2008 presidential election
campaign in the United States
, O'Day supported Barack Obama
for President.
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
Danity Kane
Danity Kane
Danity Kane was an American female music group signed to Bad Boy Records, first established in 2005. Formed on the third installment of MTV's Making the Band reality television series, the quintet comprised members Aubrey O'Day, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett, Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard, and Aundrea...
. On an October 2008 episode of the reality show Making the Band
Making the Band
Making the Band is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each iteration focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang...
, O'Day was declared no longer a member of the girl group.
O'Day has also modeled for magazines such as Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
and Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, and has performed on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
.
Early life
O'Day developed a passion for entertaining at age five, after performing on stage for the first time. "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 NutcrackerThe Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
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 Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
, Carmen in Fame
Fame (musical)
A stage musical based on the 1980 musical film Fame has been staged under two titles. The first, 'Fame – The Musical' conceived and developed by David De Silva, is a musical with a book by Jose Fernandez, music by Steve Margoshes and lyrics by Jacques Levy. The musical premiered in 1988 in Miami,...
, Sandy in Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, Liesl in The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, and Mimi in Rent
Rent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
. She also appeared in Annie
Annie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
. O'Day's childhood leaned heavily toward auditions and acting gigs more than school. The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
and Sean "Puffy" Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
were her primary influences as a child.
O'Day attended La Quinta High School
La Quinta High School (La Quinta, California)
La Quinta High School is one of six public high schools, grades 9-12, in the Desert Sands Unified School District. It is located in the La Quinta, California. The school was a California Distinguished Schools award winner in 1999, 2003 and 2011.-History:...
in the early 2000s. She later majored in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and drama at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, and was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
sorority.
2004–08: Making the Band 3 and Danity Kane
O'Day was discovered in 2004 on the MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
Making the Band 3, founded by Sean "Diddy" Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, and emerged as the show's breakout star. During Season 2 of Making the Band 3 while the competition was still ongoing, Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
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
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
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 [Combs’s] hands." O'Day had dropped out of college in order to participate in the competition. She had been thinking of attending Columbia Law
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
.
After seeing her dance, Combs was convinced that O'Day had "Black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
in her family" and further expressed this sentiment after watching her sing a version of "At Last
At Last
"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...
" 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
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
and 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
manager Johnny Wright, who served as one of the judges on the show, stated from her first audition in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
they knew that she was "a star". "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
Diva
A diva is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna"....
from the beginning."
Danity Kane
Danity Kane was an American female music group signed to Bad Boy Records, first established in 2005. Formed on the third installment of MTV's Making the Band reality television series, the quintet comprised members Aubrey O'Day, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett, Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard, and Aundrea...
, and their first album debuted on August 22, 2006, at #1 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
charts. The group was the opening act for Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
leg of her Back to Basics Tour
Back to Basics Tour
The Back to Basics Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Christina Aguilera. The tour supported her third studio album Back to Basics. It grossed over $90 million worldwide with 82 shows...
with the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
.
O'Day's fame and physical features found appealing by magazines helped her broaden her career beyond the group. 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. 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 — 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
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
. When asked by Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
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, O'Day's departure from the group was confirmed, as well as fellow bandmate and then-best friend D. Woods
D. Woods
Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett is an American R&B singer, dancer, and actress. She is a former member of the girl group Danity Kane. Woods is the founder and CEO of Woodgrane Entertainment.-Early life:...
. 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. 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
Shannon Bex
Shannon Rae Bex is a singer, professional dancer, anda former member of the musical group Danity Kane.The group was founded by P. Diddy through the MTV reality television series Making the Band 3. Danity Kane's debut album debuted at #1 on August 22, 2006, as did their second album Welcome to the...
, 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.
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. 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 All About Aubrey
O'Day landed the role of Amber Von Tussle in the BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
on July 16, 2008. She appeared in the 2009 comedy American High School
American High School (film)
American High School is a 2009 direct-to-DVD coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Sean Patrick Cannon and starring Jillian Murray, Aubrey O'Day, Talan Torriero and Martin Klebba. It was released on April 7, 2009 in the US...
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 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning producer Maestro, recording a remastered version of Sharam's remix hit "Party All the Time
Party All the Time
"Party All the Time" was a single originally recorded by comic actor Eddie Murphy in 1985, written and produced by Rick James and Kevin Johnston at James home studio in Buffalo, New York. The single reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, kept off the top by Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me"...
". She released a track titled "Never Fallin", and also joined the cast of Jerry Mitchell
Jerry Mitchell
Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer.-Early life and education:Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved to St. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. He graduated from the Fine Arts college at Webster University in St. Louis. ...
's musical Peepshow
Peepshow (burlesque)
Peepshow is a burlesque show created by Jerry Mitchell and the longest-running live show at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada...
in the role of "Peep Diva" at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
from September 2009 to late December 2009. Additionally, O'Day was featured on Donnie Wahlberg
Donnie Wahlberg
Donald Edward "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television...
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
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show for which she would be filming in the spring of 2010. The show entitled All About Aubrey
All About Aubrey
All About Aubrey is a reality television series from Oxygen that premiered on March 7, 2011. The show follows pop star Aubrey O'Day as she mounts a solo comeback after being fired from multi-platinum girl group Danity Kane by Sean Combs on MTV's Making the Band.- Cast :*Aubrey O'Day - a...
premiered on March 7, 2011 on the Oxygen Network
Oxygen (TV channel)
Oxygen is an American cable television specialty channel with television programming marketed towards women, with a format similar to Lifetime.- History :...
.
O'Day's debut single, the Adonis
Adonis Shropshire
Adonis Shropshire or Adonis for short, is an award-winning American songwriter and record producer.He has written and or produced singles including: Mariah Carey's "I Stay In Love", Usher Raymond's "My Boo", P...
-produced "Automatic" was released on April 12, 2011. It is reported that O'Day recorded over 50 songs for her debut album on SRC/Universal Motown, that will come out later in 2011.
Other work
In 2006, O'Day ranked #86 on MaximMaxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
's Hot 100 list, #81 on Blender's 100 Hottest People list, and posed for the magazines. She walked the catwalk at Heatherette
Heatherette
Heatherette is a fashion company and design house run by and former Club Kid Richie Rich, located in New York City. Heatherette came out with a bang in 1999 when they began collaborating on t-shirts and leather goods as a hobby on their living room floor...
's Fall 2007 runway show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
held on February 6, and recorded a song with 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
Time for a Change (album)
Time for a Change is the third album released by R&B singer Cupid. The album's lead single was "Cupid Shuffle". It peaked at #9 on the R&B charts and #58 on the 200-Track listing:...
.
In January 2008, O'Day briefly became the face of Famous Stars and Straps
Famous Stars and Straps
Famous Stars and Straps is an American clothing and accessory line created by Travis Barker on December 8, 1999, best known for being the drummer in the band blink-182...
. She later made a cameo appearance in Estelle
Estelle (musician)
Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...
's music video for "Pretty Please
Pretty Please (Love Me)
"Pretty Please " is the fourth UK-single from English hip-hop artist Estelle's second album Shine. The single features a song-writing credit, production values additional vocals by Cee-Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley...
" 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, their November 2008 issue. The publication stated, "With all due respect to the other girls in Danity Kane, it's easy to see why [Combs] built his group around Aubrey O'Day. Simply put, Aubrey is that chick: the stunner who attracts paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
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
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
sites, as well as from message board
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
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
50 Cent: The Money and the Power
50 Cent: The Money and the Power is a scrapped reality show that initially premiered November 6, 2008 on MTV and is now regularly aired on MTV2. The show was hosted by 50 Cent and follows the same mold as The Apprentice...
. She later agreed to be the covergirl for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
for the March 2009 issue. Additionally, she has been featured on the covers of Jadore, Image, Palm Springs Life, King
King (magazine)
King is a monthly men's magazine geared toward African American and urban audiences. It features articles about hip-Hop and R&B, as well as articles covering sports and fashion. The magazine is published by Harris Publications, and was a spinoff from XXL. It ceased publication on March 31, 2009,...
, Right On!
Right On!
Right On! is an American teen magazine. It is published by Dorchester Media in New York City, and it was a sister publication of Tiger Beat....
, Dub and Envy. She has done features for GQ, In Touch Weekly
In Touch Weekly
In Touch Weekly is an American celebrity gossip magazine. The magazine is focused on celebrity news, fashion, beauty, relationships and lifestyle, and is geared towards a younger readership, billing itself as "fast and fun", along with making claims about their lower cover price on their front...
and Us Weekly
Us Weekly
Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment...
.
Personal life
After graduating from high school and deciding to go to University of California Irvine, O'Day spent a semester at sea where she developed a passion for helping charities. She worked with service organizations while touring in different countries, as well as refugeeRefugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
centers, orphanages, and mostly with children with AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. She volunteered as a Big Sister to an organization called Pink Project, and helped victims of the Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
devastation. Motivated by her passion for charity, O'Day soon created her own organization, called F*A*N (Fighting Aids Now). 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
Aundrea Fimbres
Aundrea Aurora Fimbres is an American singer and dancer. Fimbres is a former member of the pop music group Danity Kane, from 2005 to 2009...
. 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" (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 codes from their albums tattooed on the back of her neck. O'Day's friendship with Fimbres, however, later became distant. As of 2010, O'Day and Fimbres have reunited on numerous occasions and have claimed to have always been friends. O'Day has also been best friends with another Making the Band 3 contestant, Melissa Molinaro
Melissa Molinaro
Melissa Molinaro also credited or known as Melissa S. or Melissa Smith is a Canadian, pop singer, actress, choreographer and model. She is perhaps best known for her reality TV appearances on Making The Band 3 and Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll...
, who appeared with O'Day on the MTV Show Exposed, and were last seen on screen together in the VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
pilot The Aubrey O'Day Show, which was picked up by the Oxygen Network
Oxygen (TV channel)
Oxygen is an American cable television specialty channel with television programming marketed towards women, with a format similar to Lifetime.- History :...
instead. On the show, they had an onscreen falling out and seem to no longer be friends but have recently seemed to have rekindled their friendship.
On The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Wendy Williams that premiered on July 14, 2008, as six-week sneak peek, in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City. The test run was picked up for a full season that began its run on July 13, 2009 in over 70% of the country in...
on August 12, 2008, O'Day stated that she previously dated DJ Cassidy. She dispelled rumors of ever having plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
or dating boss Sean Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
. In addition, she declared then-bandmate D. Woods
D. Woods
Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett is an American R&B singer, dancer, and actress. She is a former member of the girl group Danity Kane. Woods is the founder and CEO of Woodgrane Entertainment.-Early life:...
her best friend and porn
PORN
Porn is a common short form for pornography. It may also refer to:* Progressive outer retinal necrosis, a disease of the retina* PORN, a French industrial rock band...
legend Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."...
one of her good friends. 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. On December 15, 2008, Fox News
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
reported that O'Day attended a party accompanied with her girlfriend/lover, according to an anonymous friend in attendance. When questioned by UsMagazine.com
Us Weekly
Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment...
regarding the gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
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 preference is at this point in her life.
In 2009, while on the show Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions...
, when asked about being bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, 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."
During the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
campaign in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, O'Day supported Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for President.
Discography
Singles- 2011: "Automatic"
- 2011: "Goodbye Heartbreak"
- 2011: "Hitchhiker"
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2009 | American High School American High School (film) American High School is a 2009 direct-to-DVD coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Sean Patrick Cannon and starring Jillian Murray, Aubrey O'Day, Talan Torriero and Martin Klebba. It was released on April 7, 2009 in the US... |
Hilary Weiss | Lead Role |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005–2006 | Making The Band 3 | Herself | Competition Series |
| 2008 | Making The Band 4 | Herself | |
| 2008 | The Short-e Show | Herself | |
| 2008 | 50 Cent: The Money and the Power 50 Cent: The Money and the Power 50 Cent: The Money and the Power is a scrapped reality show that initially premiered November 6, 2008 on MTV and is now regularly aired on MTV2. The show was hosted by 50 Cent and follows the same mold as The Apprentice... |
Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2009 | Chelsea Lately Chelsea Lately Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions... |
Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2009 | Keeping Up with the Kardashians Keeping Up with the Kardashians Keeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series that airs on E!. The series premiered in October 2007. It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the members of the Kardashian and Jenner family. There will be a 7th Season to premiere in 2012.As of September 2011,... |
Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2009 | Cribs MTV Cribs MTV Cribs and CMT Cribs, depending on which channel it airs, is a franchise reality television program that originated on the MTV Networks' MTV. It later aired on its CMT channel that features tours of the houses and mansions of celebrities. The first show aired September 2000... |
Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2009 | It's On with Alexa Chung It's On with Alexa Chung It's On with Alexa Chung was an American live interactive talk and variety program that aired weekdays on MTV from June 15 to December 17, 2009... |
Herself | 2 Episodes |
| 2008–2009 | The Wendy Williams Show The Wendy Williams Show The Wendy Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Wendy Williams that premiered on July 14, 2008, as six-week sneak peek, in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City. The test run was picked up for a full season that began its run on July 13, 2009 in over 70% of the country in... |
Herself | 2 Episodes |
| 2010 | When I Was 17 | Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2010 | Double Exposure Double Exposure Double exposure is a photographic technique in which two images are captured and combined into a single image.Double exposure may also refer to:* Double patterning, a technique for improving the resolution of patterning semiconductors... |
Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2010 | Silent Library | Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2010 | Running Russell Simmons Running Russell Simmons Running Russell Simmons is a television series from Oxygen that premiered on November 2, 2010. The reality show follows Russell Simmons and his staff.- Cast :*Russell Simmons*Simone Reyes*Christina Paljusaj*Adair Curtis... |
Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2011 | The Mo'Nique Show The Mo'Nique Show The Mo'Nique Show is an American talk show hosted by comedienne actress Mo'Nique. Aired on BET, the series began October 5, 2009. She is the first African American woman to host her own late night show. The show's second and final season premiered on Monday, October 4, 2010.On July 18, 2011, BET... |
Herself | 1 Episode |
| 2011 | All About Aubrey All About Aubrey All About Aubrey is a reality television series from Oxygen that premiered on March 7, 2011. The show follows pop star Aubrey O'Day as she mounts a solo comeback after being fired from multi-platinum girl group Danity Kane by Sean Combs on MTV's Making the Band.- Cast :*Aubrey O'Day - a... |
Herself | 6 Episodes |
| 2011 | Hair Battle Spectacular Hair Battle Spectacular Hair Battle Spectacular is an American television series that premiered on the cable network Oxygen on August 10, 2010. The show follows 10 of America's hottest fantasy hair stylist as they battle it out in the ring for a $100,000 grand prize and to see who can create the most outrageous hair... |
Herself | 1 Episode |
| Stage | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2008 | Hairspray Hairspray (musical) Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues... |
Amber Von Tussle | Broadway |
| 2009 | Peepshow | Peep Diva | Las Vegas |
| 2010 | Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen is a 2004 American Teen musical comedy film directed by Sara Sugarman and produced by Robert Shapiro and Matthew Hart for Walt Disney Pictures... |
Ella Gerard | Broadway |