I hope everyone is having an incredible week and staying true to you.
Thank you Rachel for hosting, yet another, Valentine's event this year. I'm proud of you getting your own space, and I'm even prouder of you for leveling up in your life. You have been through such adversity and I pray you continue to smile that genuine smile you wore all night that night. One thing is for sure, I enjoyed several cocktails and was so happy to catch back up with Kasi.
Kasi and I hadn't shared a cocktail in the new year yet, as she was resetting her priorities for success this 2021. She went on an alcohol cleanse and filled me in on everything she had been working on thus far. I'm beyond proud of her. After being close friends with somebody for 6ish years, growing and maturing together, it really warms my heart to see her win. The dream she had when I met her, is finally coming to reality. And that is worth the journey we've been on together.
A big part of success is surrounding yourself with the right people. People can be very toxic and manipulative. We've seen it time and time again, and sometimes, we find ourselves falling back into the same habits that created controversy before. That ladies and gentleman, is what my blog is about today.
The company you keep.
The Getaway Los Angeles series has really started to get interesting on my end. Another person that I really appreciated and supported has attacked me and my character. This marks the second person and quite honestly, this is really heartbreaking for me.
Those that really know me, know I never stray from the truth. Some of you may have even watched me, for the last 3 years, speak my truth to musical artists on a show called Shine. I'm proud of my morals and I'm proud of my transparency with those closest to me, and those who may be meeting me for the first time. Everything I do is to lift people up. And if you watch just a fraction of Shine, my demeanor has not changed. I'm real. I'm raw. And I'm honest. All of my closest friends will tell you that.
Except one, apparently. So this goes out to you Alitalia Adams.
I have never, in my life, been blasted by somebody that has held such high regard in my heart and in my life. When I joined the cast on The Getaway Los Angeles, after having first created the series to give my friend's an opportunity to grow their personal brands and their businesses (with Joel, who she also bashed), I thought the majority of the drama would be surface stuff. I was wrong.
Let's first note, I tried to call Alitalia before making this blog. She screened my call and didn't send me any text referencing she was busy. After waiting for several hours to get communication from her, which she has been terrible at with me from the beginning of our friendship, I'm now going to be speaking on this publicly. I'd also like to quickly note that when she said I didn't answer her about some things she did to me recently, that's because she texted me apologies. Listen Alitalia, I've told you this a thousand times over, this is not how you handle grown people problems. I didn't answer because I wanted to have the conversation face to face. I wanted it to be on camera this time too, because I'm done with you playing the fence with your problems.
You did it on Sev, you did it on Monique and now you're doing it on Demetre and I.
You're saying one thing about somebody, then playing it cool to coexist with them or to be 'on the show.' Just be real. Why don't you stay true to yourself? If you don't like me, then cool. If you're talking mess about Demetre at my house in front of Joel, Cliff and I, then stand by that and stop hanging out with him. That's called being two-faced. I get we are on a show, but if you feel the way you feel toward certain people, why are you telling me you're just hanging with them because of the show? We can all see you're spending personal time with them. So if it's your emotions leading you to say things you don't mean, where you later want to retract those statements, just apologize and move on! The one projecting your feelings is you. You can't drag one of your most loyal friends into something because he didn't text you back. How old are we? If I'm not answering your texts, clearly you did something wrong.
I've stood by you through all your trials and tribulations.
This is the root to our problem right here. Alitalia wants to perceive like she's got it all together. I have been one of those loyal friends that has helped her keep it that way behind the scenes. I can't believe after everything I've done for a person, they can attack my character the way she did. If you want to act like a woman on social media, be a woman when one of your best friends is telling you you're being fake to people; because you and I had that conversation in Las Vegas, so please don't act brand new.
In Alitalia's blog, she talked about things I supposedly said about her when she wasn't around. Alitalia said Demetre informed her on how and why he felt I have been a bad friend to her.
First I want to address Demetre.
I HAVE NEVER SAID I DON'T LIKE DEMETRE. He and I are definitely not in a good place, but I not once have ever said he was a bad person. I said he likes to stir the pot, I have said he's shady, I have said he likes to gossip, I have said he gaslights his own problems onto other people (like what is seemingly happening again here), and I have said 'to be careful' in a relationship with him after Alitalia told me things he's said about me. I've also made numerous jokes about how he enjoys a good piping hot glass of tea, and to his face. Which by the way, he will admit he does. He is our resident stir-stick. And to be honest, that's why I still have respect in tact for Demetre in that light, because he owns it. You can track that back to Justin, Monique, Cliff, Joel, other producers on the show, and so on, about how I actually feel Demetre and I can come to some common ground.
However, Alitalia made it seem like I'm out here dogging Demetre out. I'm disappointed in how he handled some things, regarding me and my character, but I have never said I hate the man. As I said, we're just not in a good place. I started at new beginnings with him this year. So it's exhausting. My mentality is if you fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I didn't want to go have the same conversation with Demetre and him not hear me out... a second time. So I've given myself a little space from that.
Furthermore, I am not upset about Demetre speaking his truth. If he feels I've been a bad friend, then he can speak on it. But what disappointed me about Demetre, is he is quick to point the finger in the most hypocritical way. If he was a real friend to me, he would have pulled me to the side 'in October' (since Alitalia said that's how far it dates back to Demetre saying I was being a bad friend), and told me then I needed to rethink the way I was treating Alitalia. But he didn't. Instead, he says I don't confront him. One way street, maybe? Not to mention, confronting problem is all I ever do with anybody. I will never think twice to confront people when they're doing stuff I don't agree with. I did it to Demetre last Thanksgiving. That was around the time we were starting fresh. But not what Demetre will do for me, instead he stirs it up, talking to her, getting her upset at me. This is exactly what happened last time they talked, where shortly after blogs from both of them hit... basically telling everyone reading these blogs that I'm avoiding confrontation and not being a real friend. You're entitled to your own opinions, but how am I not being upfront with you when I literally have handled this once before? You're the one repeating past offenses. If anything, my problem is that I can be overly confrontational when I feel I'm being wronged; which comes from my southern roots, trying to be transparent with everyone. Ask literally anybody.
To wrap this portion out about Demetre, as I said on my last blog about my shady sister, I had danced this song before and I don't want to continue to rehash things with people that aren't willing to hear me out and grow together. I don't think he's a bad person, but he continues to be shady when those he's talking about are not around.
After reading Alitalia's blog, I am certainly in a different headspace all the way around. I am really heartbroken and saddened. I am upset and disappointed.
I want to respond to a few other things Alitalia mentioned as well.
No, I wasn't mad at Kasi for not including BTV in her giveaway, because it was a cash giveaway that only revolved around her company. Yours included multiple companies, and you mentioned you wanted me and BTV involve. So you went back on your word and didn't have the decency to tell me. It took me reaching out, to be sure I didn't miss the cross promotion for it on our end, to then learn you decided to go in a different direction. I didn't reach out to you when I saw Demetre and Roberto's company's involvement either, as I had seen that a week or two before. The trigger for me, as I explained to you, is that I felt left out. Then I tied in the emotional connection to the Good Food Guru's charity, because they left BTV out as well. I was illustrating to you where my emotions were. That's it. I do feel, and have expressed this to you, that I do everything for you, and feel I get very little in return. I hope you'll look back over the last 5 years, and really think about what I've included you in to help build you up and expand your network.
Next. I have never said one thing about you that I have not said to your face. So I welcome you, and anybody else, share what it is you guys chatted about. I would love for you to prove me wrong. And I promise you and everyone following this show/blogs, you can't because I live by telling people the truth.
You are literally disgusting to make an accusation about me wanting to keep you from being friends with Demetre. Let me jog everyone's memory in case you missed it, Alitalia wrote, "Since October, Brandon had been explaining his dislike for Demetre to me, and to watch my back regarding our friendship. Now knowing everything that I do...I conclude that Brandon has felt this way, this long, because he's been talking about me to Demetre and others this whole time and has been weary of how much information Demetre was going to share with me!" I would never, and I mean ever, try to wedge friendships. I introduce all of my friends to each other, if it's at events or just casually at my house, you know more than anybody that I build all of my friends up. This is what really broke my heart. The only thing I did was warn you to be careful with him because of the experiences I've had. But I speak my truth and live it. Demetre knows how I feel about him, because I'm vocal about it. You are not. Last time you were at my house, you said you wouldn't be hanging out with him anymore. I didn't make you say that. You told me you didn't want to affiliate with him because you caught him in a lie about Big Bear. Now you believe him again? This is why I have been very weary about having anymore conversations with you when they're not filmed. You almost forget how you say things and sometimes, the things you say in general.
Think long and hard about who you're talking to. You just ruined years of loyalty and respect.
You're talking to the person who let you sleep on his couch for months for free, the man who helped you stack your coin to even launch Lusso Vitale (your company), you're talking to the man who didn't ask you to pay bills, or buy food during the time you were here, you're talking to the man who let you sleep in his bed while he took the floor some nights, you're talking about the man who stood up for you when people spoke ill about you, you're talking to the man who was always there for your phone calls and acted as your venting post when you had no one else, you're talking to the man who you cried to and helped you get back on your feet, you're talking to one of the most loyal mother fuckin people in the world. And you just crossed the line.
And after everything you said about me, speaking on my name so disrespectfully, you can't even pick up the phone. I called you because that's the man I am. I was waiting to have the conversation like adults, face to face. You text me apologies and say you build your 'friends' up, it's all fake. Tell me one thing you've done for me that's helped build me up? I've been nothing but your rock during the entirety of our relationship. I've been there for you, helping you weather many of the storms in your life these past 5 years. I'm speechless.
You say you're numb, and you say you never have time for drama and 'fakery.' Look around Alitalia, since the show started, you have been the nucleus to much of that drama. And during those times, I took up for you. During those times, I was real with you and the only friend that had the hard conversations with you telling you the truth. From the jump, when you were being called a 'call girl', I helped you put that to bed. Nobody else wanted to help. I did. Joel did. The two people that were there for you. We had your back.
I mean, even Mo went out on a limb for you and confronted Sev about it which ultimately led to the end of their relationship. You didn't even back Mo up then, after she backed you up first.
I'll end with this. Regarding the Valentine's party, if you wanted to be there you'd have been there. You've always talked negative about the production elements of the show, and you're always first to complain about any and everything we do. The truth to that is, it's not the producer's job to get you there. Justice reached out because you said you'd be coming. You signed up for this show just like everyone else. If you say you're going to show up, be professional and show up. I wasn't trying to fake the funk with you and pretend like I was okay. When I joined the show, almost all of my producer duties were stripped from me. So stop crafting your own narratives, because I was never responsible for you and your attendance at this party. You didn't want to have this conversation on camera, but surprise.
It's all going to come out now. You and Demetre want to bash me for being a bad friend, I don't need to be your friend at all. I've done far too much for you to be so ruthless and turn on one of your most loyal friends overnight. Be true. Mo even told me to be careful with you, warning me many times that you were using me. Alitalia, I even took up for you and continued telling Mo (and others) to give you another chance. I reminded everyone how beautiful you were inside and out, while almost everyone wanted me to walk away. I didn't! When I met you, you were a good person at heart. Time and time again I stood by the relationship we had.
I really feel betrayed. And I do believe it was Demetre's stir stick that got you in your feelings, but it's not Demetre's fault you reacted this way. Real friends communicate, they don't place blame before acting like an adult.
If this is a learning lesson for anybody reading at home, the company you keep is one of the most important foundations in your life. They can make you and break you. I'll never forget this moment. It was certainly a hard lesson, but one I'll never forget.
God bless you Alitalia. I hope you find what you're looking for.
With love,
Brandon