‘Rock of Love With Bret Michaels’: The Real Reason Lacey Sculls Played the Villain
In 2007, the world knew Lacey Sculls (née Conner) as the villain on Rock of Love With Bret Michaels. Showbiz Cheat Sheet talked to Sculls via Zoom about her experience on the reality show and the reason she embraced being the villain.
‘Rock of Love With Bret Michaels’ was a VH1 reality dating show
Much like The Bachelor, Michaels was looking for a woman in a reality television setting. Through a series of group dates and one-on-ones, Michaels dated 20-some women to find who he thought could be his “rock of love.”
Sculls was one of the final three women during Rock of Love Season 1. In the end, Michaels chose Jes Rickleff as his final girl. But one of the reasons Sculls made it far in the competition was because she played the villain.
Lacey Sculls prevented ‘Rock of Love With Bret Michaels’ from becoming a boring show
In speaking with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Sculls recalled the very first night in the Rock of Love mansion.
“I remember very clearly day one,” Sculls explained. “I remember Mia [Tidwell] and a couple of other girls were talking about doing [their] nails or talking about something that was like very mundane.”
Sculls recalled the cameramen zooming in on this very “mundane” conversation, which involved comparing French manicures and acrylic nail tips.
“I remember looking at them, watching them talk, listening what they were saying, and then looking at the cameramen all in there, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this show is going to be a f*cking flop,'” Sculls added, laughing. “I was like, I’ve got to do something. And that’s sort of when I knew [I had to become the villain].”
Lacey Scull’s was ‘Rock of Love’s villain to keep things interesting
Sculls’s goal in participating in Rock of Love With Bret Michaels was to create entertaining television. To do that, she became the villain.
“I have to do this villain thing,” Sculls remembered thinking. “It’ll be fun. I love villains anyway.”
“My primary goal was [to make] this TV show the best that it can possibly be,” Sculls continued. “I want to contribute in whatever way that I can to ensure that this TV show is going to be a big success and that people are really going to enjoy it.”
And that’s exactly what she did. Ironically, another popular VH1 villain inspired Sculls to take on that role in the Rock of Love house.
Tiffany ‘New York’ Pollard inspired Lacey Sculls to become the villain
Tiffany Pollard — aka “New York” — was vying for Flavor Flav’s heart during Flavor of Love Season 1. As the “Head B*tch in Charge” that season, Pollard made it to the final two. Unfortunately, Flavor Flav chose Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander as his final girl.
Having studied all of these shows before her stint on Rock of Love, Sculls felt a special connection to Pollard’s villainous ways.
“When I watched Flavor of Love, I had the same reaction toward ‘New York’ as a lot of people had when they watched me,” Sculls admitted. “I was like, ‘Why is she still there? She’s terrible. Send her home.'”
Despite her villainous role, Pollard was invited back for a cameo during Flavor of Love Season 2 and given a spinoff series, I Love New York.
“[In] I Love New York, you get to see a little bit more of Tiffany Pollard and I was like, ‘Oh, she’s actually like really funny and really likable,'” Sculls explained.
That’s when things started to click. “New York” was a character Pollard created for the sake of the show. When Sculls was invited to do Rock of Love With Bret Michaels, she understood what worked for Pollard and what didn’t. Sculls went into the mansion, fully embracing the role of the villain. Playing the villain got Sculls pretty far, just as it did for Pollard.
