Drita and Kate happily embrace ‘villain’ label, see it as temporary role in a story.
Drita feels underestimated, but warns not to ‘poke the bear’ as her fierce side emerges.
Tiffany ‘New York’ Pollard keeps the House of Villains cast on their toes with her unpredictable personality.
A mob wife who’s seen skyrocketing social media popularity, and a cuthrorat chief stew turned tactical traitor, are dishing on bringing sass and (all the) smoke to Peacock’s House Of Villains.
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Drita D’Avanzo and Kate Chastain spoke to BOSSIP about embracing the villain label, what it really means to be the “bad guy” in a house full of polarizing personalities, and Tiffany “New York” Pollard.
When presented with a definition of villain as “a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot,” Kate happily said she could relate to that interpretation.
“Well, that changes everything,” she said. “You don’t have to be a villain your whole life. Just in that one story.”
Known for being a quick-witted confessional queen, the Below Deck/Traitors star laughed when BOSSIP told her castmates Jackie Christie, Plane Jane, and Christine Quinn dubbed her a “quiet assassin.”
“I’m so glad they finally realize,” she said with a laugh. “That’s usually how it works.”
She added that she had “a great time” filming the series and admitted she was not expecting to enjoy the ensuing chaos that came with living with fellow villains.
As for Mob Wives star/turned renewed Internet sensation Drita, she told BOSSIP she often felt underestimated.
“Oh, one hundred percent,” she said when asked whether housemates mistook her quiet demeanor for weakness. “Some people in the house were probably like, why did they even have her on here when she’s putting cereal together and asking what you want to eat?”
She continued,
“That’s really who I am. I’m super friendly and always smiling. Just don’t poke the bear.”
And we all know what happens when you poke “the bear,” that’s an unabashed fierce fighter.
“It’s just a totally different person,” she said, recalling her reality TV history.
For Drita, the show also arrives amid a social media resurgence.
Old clips from her Mob Wives days have been circulating across TikTok and X, introducing her to a new generation of viewers who are wowed by her larger-than-life personality and her fearless fighting, sometimes with more than one person at a time.
“I honestly hated even being associated with Mob Wives for a long time because it was real life,” she said candidly. “It was too much for me. I wasn’t happy.”
“It took a while for me to realize it is iconic and it’s never going away,” she continued. “I’ve grown. I’ve changed. That was that time in my life. I’ll never not be me. I just have too much to lose. So I will not assault anyone anymore.”
That sentiment is one Kate said she could relate to.
“When I see old seasons of myself, I don’t feel like I’m watching myself,” she told BOSSIP. “It’s not who I am now, but I’m like, I like her.”
As for strategy, some fans assumed Kate’s experience on The Traitors gave her a competitive edge, but she said that was simply untrue, considering that there were gamers like Tyson from Survivor and Ashley from The Challenge in the group who were equally skilled.
What is true, however, is how much Drita and Kate bonded throughout their House of Villains experience.
“I love Kate,” said Drita. “And I would have a problem with you if you had a problem with her in front of me.”
“Honestly, I felt like I won House of Villains the first time Drita told me I was gangster,” said Kate. “I need her to put it in writing.”
Elsewhere in the convo, the ladies dished on three-time villain/ reality TV royalty Tiffany “New York” Pollard, who kept the cast on their toes.
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“It’s like jumping into a wave pool,” said Drita. “It can be calm and then not. You better be prepared.”
“You don’t know if you’re getting New York or Tiffany,” agreed Kate. “You have to be prepared for both.”
