Cassandra Whitehead

(to FORT in an interview talking about why she didn't want to cut the last inches they asked her hair) Cassandra: Well, the haircut was kind of like the last straw, it was the icing on the cake. They were trying to change my style, my personality, and my attitude as part of the complete makeover. It wasn't even about my physical appearance anymore, it was about my whole persona. I wasn't willing to change for what was, in my opinion, the worse in order to pursue this. I always told myself that I would never change for anybody. I never have, and I never will. So, if that means I'm not going to have success on the show, then in the long run that's okay with me.

(about "America's Next Top Model") Cassandra: If this doesn't work for me, I am definitely going to go back to pageants because I think they help you develop more as a woman, where modeling's just more of a career.

(in her audition video for "America's Next Top Model") Cassandra: I am really easy to work with, and I think photographers and makeup artists will love me, because I will do what you tell me.

(when she was questioned about her "robot like" attitude) Cassandra: You know how sociopaths don't feel emotion that's why they can kill people without feeling bad about it? Only I never killed anybody.

(about fellow contestant Lisa D'Amato's drinking habits) Cassandra: I'm thinking, oh my gosh, have some class, but I don't want to say anything to her...Even though I may have been raised more privileged than some people, there's no reason to rub that in people's faces.

(about what the judges thought of her model walk) Cassandra: Every time I turn around they're like 'Pageant pageant pageant pageant'…Shut up!

(on what she and the other contestants of "America's Next Top Model" think about Tyra Banks) Cassandra: Well, I think what the issue was...I feel like a lot of girls aren't comfortable around her, or they have mixed feelings one way or another, because I feel like we really didn't get to see the real Tyra. Every time we saw her, it was in front of the camera. So, I kind of feel like maybe, I don't whether she was putting on a front, or if that was the real her. But I don't think we could really tell because every time we did see her, we didn't really have any time with her that wasn't on camera.

Cassandra: By cutting my hair they were cutting a part of my personal style. I couldn't allow that.

(on how she found out about the "America's Next Top Model" auditions) Cassandra: There was a local modeling agency that was owned by the director of Miss Corpus Christi Pageant, and they were sponsoring an open call for America's Next Top Model. And, at the time, I was with Corpus Christi, so she had asked me to go for her. So I went, and went to the open calls there.

(on what she was doing before participating in America's Next Top Model) Cassandra: I was doing mostly pageants. I didn't do a lot of modeling. I did a couple commercial print things in Houston, where I'm from, but nothing serious.

Cassandra: No matter what type of image you're trying to portray, I think it's important that you act like a lady.

Cassandra: They wanted me to act edgy and punk and to stop being so classy. They told me that I needed to hunch and slouch and give attitude. I just don't think that's a good thing. And they said I couldn't dress the way I wanted to anymore. No more pink, no more frills. They said I had to wear black, and be very edgy and kind of funky. And that's not my style at all. I think your appearance is your personal expression, and if you can't express yourself the way you feel, you're trapped in this box and you're not comfortable with yourself. At the end of the day you can't go home and look in the mirror and say, "Okay, I'm back to me." They wanted me to portray this image 24/7, and it wasn't something that I wanted to do. I wanted to stay on the show, but I wanted to be myself.