February 15, 2008
Tiffany “New York” Pollard walked away from Buddha on VH1’s I Love New York 2′s season finale in December, and into the arms of the amorous Tailor Made. But runner-up Buddha is still friendly with New York, he says, and — believe it or not — is pals with his onetime rival.
“New York and I still talk, we speak now and then,” Buddha (real name: Ezra Masters) told PEOPLE at last weekend’s 5th annual all-star jam session put on by The Roots. “When we see each other, we’re very cordial. We’re good friends, and we developed a real relationship on the show. And contrary to what most people think, Tailor and I still speak, too. Most people think we’re bitter enemies to the end – not at all, not at all.”
Tailor Made (real name: George Weisgerber) proposed to New York in December, and she accepted. “I think it’s a good match,” Buddha (right) says. “I’m not surprised that they’re engaged, and this is something I was telling New York on-camera, off-camera. I believe he was one of the few that was genuinely there for her. I think they’re two nutty bunches of fun. Either they’re going to love each forever or they’re going to kill each other. Either way, they’re going to do it together.”
Since the show, Buddha has taken up motivational speaking to children, posing for a body calendar, and penning a book called Buddha Bible. “Coming out for the urban renaissance man,” he says about the book. “It’s a compilation of quotes from myself and other authors I find have taught me about life. It’s more for people who don’t really have a way, trying to find a way.”
So, would he come back to TV?
“Everybody asks me about doing a Buddha Love or an I Love Buddha-type show,” he says. “I’m really not interested in that. Honestly, unless it’s something that’s helping out people, I’m not interested in doing mindless TV.”
