[Exclusive Interview] Love And Hip Hop New York's Diamond Strawberry Talks How Cisco Begged For Forgiveness, New Beau Roc And Working With Runaway Pregnant Teens

"Love and Hip Hop: New York" reality star, Diamond Strawberry opened up to MStars News exclusively about her rocky debut on the popular VH1 show. The aspiring model revealed that her ex-boyfriend Cisco tried to win her back behind filming, new relationship with producer Roc, her advocacy for pregnant teens and how she feels that MTV's "Teen Mom" reality show exploits young teens.

 MStars News: How did it make you feel to see Cisco downplay your relationship when he spoke to his children's mother.

Diamond Strawberry: It really hurt to see him down me like that, but of course he's not going to be honest with her and tell her 'look, I was seeing her, this was actually my girlfriend.' Of course he's not going to do that because he's a coward and a liar, but yeah it hurts. Every time I see him downplaying the situation, saying he didn't want me in New York, he never asked me to be there, we were never together, it really hurt because that's not the Cisco that I knew.

MN: How do you feel about seeing yourself now versus how you were seen towards the beginning of the show?

DS: I like the fact that I'm getting respect now, not saying that I needed it because the opinions of strangers don't really get to me, but I do appreciate the fact that people are actually changing their opinions of me. People actually like the fact that I was strong enough to walk away from a bad situation, which every woman can relate to, if it's not good you have to get out of it.

MN: Well, it seemed like you just got up and came to New York and he left you high and dry and then you turned around and made the most of it. You have a boyfriend now and can you tell me how you guys met?

DS: Rock, such a sweetheart. I was actually invited to his mixtape release. And I was introduced to him through my manager Marjorie and when we met it was kind of like a hi and bye type of thing, whatever, but I didn't stay long, I just wanted to show my face and leave. So when we left he reached out to my manager and said 'you know what, that girl is she single?' 'You know what actually she is newly single.' And ever since then, he's just been really cool. He's an awesome guy, he's so sweet.

MN: How did it make you feel to see Cisco upset about your new man?

DS: Through our relationship he didn't want me here, never wanted to be with me, why are you tripping because I'm with someone new? That right there showed me he cared. I get to New York, you drop me off with a stranger, you constantly lie, you cheat on me, I had enough and I leave you, I start seeing someone else and I'm wrong. It still baffles me how I started seeing someone after I broke up with Cisco, he was seeing someone while we were together and I'm wrong, it's just crazy.

MN: Did your boyfriend now help you move on from Cisco? Or is that your type of personality, just to let it go cold-turkey?

DS: On the show it looks like I just walked away, but it really was, they didn't catch all the tears, all of the craziness, him coming to the house begging for my forgiveness, they didn't catch all of that. It just looked like oh okay you have a son, I'm done. That wasn't the case, it was not easy to walk away from him and I was very hurt, but Roc, when I'm with him, it's just so different. He makes me forget about all the drama, all the hurt, he's so attentive and so in tune with what I like, so he makes it easier not to think about all the pain. I don't forget about Cisco, but it's just easier to deal with when you have someone like that in your life.

MN: How does your mom feel about your new boyfriend?

DS: She's just like thank god you're away from Cisco, anyone but him. But after she got to know Brandon, sorry that's his real name, Roc is Brandon, she likes him. She likes how he asks about my daughter, he wants to Face Time her, he can't wait to meet her. You know what I'm saying? She just likes how Brandon is the exact opposite of Cisco, so she's happy about that.

MN: So you want to work with runaway pregnant teens right? What made you decide to focus on teens specifically?

DS: Well I had my daughter at 18, I was a single mother, I was just in a depression not knowing what I was going to do with my life and I felt like my only identity was going to be just popping out babies. So once I got motivated, got myself up, I remember how good I feel about myself, I felt like I was actually making my daughter proud because I was working towards my goals and I just feel like it's so important to motivate others and help them because I know how that feels so if I could just reach somebody and help them and be a blessing to another person, I'm going to do it.

MN: Did you ever get a feeling of wanting to runaway when you found out you were pregnant?

DS: No, I didn't want to runaway, but just being a teen mom, it's very difficult.

MN: So when you think about the positives that you're doing right now with young teens do you think shows like Teen Mom exploits young mothers rather than helping them?

DS: I'm guilty of watching that show, but I feel like it's glorifying being pregnant at a young age and I didn't like that. I feel like so many girls were getting pregnant with the hopes of being on TV. It's not cool to me. They don't realize that once you get pregnant, once you have a child it's not a game anymore, it's not just something you

can sit in the corner and deal with when you feel like it. This is a human life and you're stuck with that child until you die, so no I don't like what that show stands for, but I'm guilty, I have watched it.

MN: Have you apologized to Cisco for hitting him and calling his mother a B**ch?

DS: Oh, yeah, I definitely apologized to him after that. I just need to clear the air about this, a lot of people think that VH1 told me to apologize, no; I apologized because at the end of the day that's wrong. You don't disrespect somebody's mother when she has done nothing to you. You do not put your hands on somebody, you

just don't. So I apologized because I am a woman and I own up to my mistakes. Secondly, yes, I have reached out to Cisco and we've had several conversations where we talked about that and I've apologized to him face to face. Yeah, so there's nothing else to say about that.

MN: Has he tried to win you back?

DS: The audience is going to have to keep watching. There's a lot more left of the season, so tune in Monday nights to VH1, 8pm.