Ten Questions with Megan Knickerbocker

We caught up with Megan Knickerbocker and had a great conversation -- she's a very charming, down-to-earth person. We asked her about her dog, the nose job, and her rebellious days. Here's what she had to say:

Bravotv.com:You're talked about in the press as the girl that "doesn't fit the average Coto stereotype." What does that mean to you?
That means that I'm not really concerned with money, as ar as my happiness goes. It doesn't matter to me what kind of car you drive or what house you live in.

Bravotv.com: The rest of the kids of OC talk about this stereotype. Is it a fair stereotype, that you're only concerned with money? That you're all spoiled?
The stereotype is true. One hundred percent. You're judged on every little thing that you do in this neighborhood. If I had it my way, I'd pack up my things and move tomorrow.

Bravotv.com: How do you feel like you're different?
I think I'm more real. A lot of people in this community will say one thing to your face, and then five minutes later, say the most horrible things about you to someone else. I just don't believe in it. I'd rather have one true friend than have to be that fake all the time. Wearing that fake smile like everyone else.

Bravotv.com: What do you feel is the most important thing we should know about you that the show is not letting us in on?
I think on the show, I look pretty hard. Like I don't care. I'm portrayed as kind of a bitch. And I'm really not. I'm just more reserved. I'm not really out-going. I like to be by myself a lot. I don't really get along with all the people from this show. It makes me, I odn't know if this is how I act, but seeing it on TV, I watch and go, "ooh, I kind of look mean." I see some of the things that I say and think, "oops."

Bravotv.com: You talk in this episode about having gone through your share of rebellion. What changed?
When I was 15, I ran away. I was hanging out with a bad group of people. I really hated my parents. I was so angry, and I just wanted to get away. I experimented with drugs. I learned my lesson, I have to say. I'm starting to come out of now. I work full time, I support myself completely, I don't talk to those people anymore. I'm coming in to my own more. And some people aren't going to like me in this community. And some people in this community aren't going to give me a fair chance because of the things I did when I was fifteen.

Bravotv.com: So far we've seen you get a tattoo and a nose job. Any future plans?
No. After the nose job, no. I'm done. No more. That was painful. No.

Bravotv.com: You seem very close to your family. Has it always been that way?
I've always been really close to my mom. Now, we're more like best friends. My dad is acompletely different story. He puts up with me because it's expected and I'm his daughter. We're not very close, though.

Bravotv.com: Your mom comes to a dog show in this last episode and it seems like a really big deal. Does she not like the dogs?
She has always had a fear of pit bulls, and I've always kind of taken them in, and stood up for them. I've always liked the underdog. My mom has grown up with my dog Freya, since she was a puppy. And now, she's getting to the point where she's understanding that they're not bad dogs. They're actually loving. But she still sees them as the rest of the world sees them. She's getting better.

Bravotv.com: How has being on a reality show changed things for you?
It's just opened my eyes to how I act and how I come across to people.

Bravotv.com: Wow. We usually hear "we're all edited to look crazy."
Eh. You guys do a pretty good job with the editing. We're all nuts. We're crazy people.

Bravotv.com:What do you feel like you have to say to the world? What do you hope that you represent? Don't judge people. Don't judge them by what you've heard about them. Find out for yourself. Have your own experience with that person before you think about judging them.

Bravotv.com: Thanks for talking to us, Megan. Thank you.