[EXCLUSIVE] Mimi Faust Opens Up About LHHATL, Business Ventures, & Why She Claps Back on Social Media

The most controversial story line this season on “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” involved a cast member who is oftentimes, I believe, misunderstood. Her persona comes off a conservative-yet-complex. Her personality is a bit high strung. Her decision-making skills…well they are questionable. And, if you were to drop it all in a pot, what will surface is a twisted gumbo of traits which makes her, Mimi Faust, quite interesting to watch.

For the past four seasons of LHHATL, Mimi Faust has had her fair share of highs and lows. Season 4, however, us viewers got a chance to see a transformation of sorts. It all began with the unveiling of her participation in the infamous sex tape with former boyfriend, Nikko. The scandal ended Mimi’s two-year love affair. The scrutiny didn’t end there, unfortunately. Not only was Nikko trying to swindle Mimi out of a percentage of her life’s story, but he also revealed that he was married. Despite some setbacks and a strained friendship with Ariane, Mimi did accomplish one thing she set out to do this season. She reintroduced her business side.

With M.F. Management, Mimi set out to utilize her industry connects and business know-how to help two new cast members. Tiffany Fox and Jessica Dime, both rappers, added intensity to Mimi’s story line as an artist manager. Whether their addition was a scripted way to introduce them to LHHATL fans or not, viewers saw a woman who was ready to progress into something more meaningful. She has depth. It’s recognizable in Mimi and sometimes it takes a cluster of mishaps to bring out the true essence of a person.

One thing’s for sure, Mimi’s undeniable love for her daughter, Eva Giselle, continued to show this season. The co-parenting efforts between her and Stevie J blossomed with him even asking Mimi to move to Los Angeles. How this arrangement will play out we’ll have to wait and see in season 5. Nonetheless, Mimi Faust gave a different element of herself this time around and it was definitely time to paint that portrait.

Back in July, I got an opportunity to interview Mimi. Part of me wanted truth to a few unanswered questions. The other part of me was simply compelled to get to know her better. You know, get to hear it from the horses mouth. Take the celebrity away and base an opinion on information handed to me forthright. In her interview, Mimi discussed what transpired on the show and her plans for the near future. She also talked about the aggravation of social media and how she chooses to deal with haters on Twitter and Instagram.

It’s a lengthy read, but an insightful one. Hope you enjoy!  

With LHHATL in its fourth season, first, what was your thoughts about reality television up until that point? What did you ultimately want to happen in this new season?

It’s so hectic. When you go into a new season, you don’t really know what to expect. Especially after you film an episode and it goes to get edited. You just don’t know what to expect. My thoughts now is that I really don’t have any expectations about it. You don’t what it’s going to end up being anyway until you watch it on Monday night. You can have all of the expectations in the world, but that doesn’t mean that’s what it’s going to be when it airs. So, I learned to not have any expectations at all.

[This season] I wanted to focus more on my business. There was a lot of stuff that I wanted to focus on, that wasn’t even showed. So again, wanting and having expectations is kind of pointless because they [the producers] are going to show what they want to show and that’s it.

With the incident that occurred with the sex tape and you and Nikko’s relationship, at any time did you suspect that there was an ulterior motive for Nikko to come up with the plan to sell the tape? OR did you feel like it doesn’t matter, that you’d just go along because it would prove to be financially beneficial for you?

Yes. I had my suspicions about Nikko way before the tape. I just didn’t listen to my gut instinct or my women’s intuition or my inner self or anything. I didn’t listen to my friends or anybody actually. So yeah to answer your question, “Yes I did.”

There were stuff tugging on the back of my neck like this is not quite okay.

Was the sex tape financially beneficial for you?

Yes, the income coming in from the tape has made a difference. I can tell a difference from it. But, was it worth it? NO. I would not sit here and lie to you and tell you that the financial benefit coming in from it was worth what I went through. And, what I still have to go through because of the tape. I’m still going to have to explain this one day to my daughter and there’s no dollar amount that I could put on that to make that okay.

What is your relationship with Nikko now?

There is no current status with Nikko. I don’t speak to him. I don’t see him. Nikko’s actually been blocked on my phone for 8, 9, 10 months.  I have no communication with Nikko whatsoever. The only that I see Nikko is if I have to do a scene with him and we don’t know who we’re shooting with until we are on set. So the times I did a scene with Nikko in season 4, I didn’t know I was doing a scene with him.

What were your thoughts after meeting Nikko’s wife Margeaux?

I thought…she’s a very interesting looking girl. I like her style. I think she dresses kinda cool. I don’t know. She came off as being a little airheaded. She wasn’t making sense when we would speak. She would immediately get angry. I definitely tried to reach Margeaux when I found out that they were married and she wanted nothing to do with it. She didn’t want to have a conversation about it. I was surprised that months and months down the line, that she comes on a show that I brought your husband on. You want to be a part of it and know you got all this mouth and have so much to say. To me, both of them are opportunists that wanted to be on TV.

Do you think getting on “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” was a part of their plan?

Absolutely. I think Nikko, when I ran back into him, saw that there was an opportunity for him to be on the show, at that point let her know that this is what we’re going to be doing and for him to bring her on.  I think it was a plan from the beginning, yes. Because she knew about it. There’s no way you’re going to allow or be okay with your husband dating another woman publicly for damn near two years and do a sex tape. And you’re just going to set back and just be okay with the sh*t! I’m sorry I don’t know those type of women. Where they do that at?!?!

She knew the whole time. Her whole end game was to be on the show and she accomplished it. She can’t be too mad. She’s screaming my name every episode. But it’s okay, it’s keeping me relevant. Thank you Marguex. She talking about the tape every five seconds, helping the sales go up for my tape. Again, thank you Marguex. So…I’m not mad at her. [laughs]

Do you think Margeaux is talented?

Yes, I think there’s a lane for her. There’s definitely a lane for her.

After seeing a few episodes this season, you and Ariane were at odds. Do you think Ariane had a valid point at being mad at you for not being honest about the situation?

No, I do not and I’ll tell you why. If you do something and you don’t want anybody to know, what do you do? You don’t tell anybody. If I would have told Ariane, she would have told her friend or her girlfriend pillow talking, then would have told someone else who would have told someone else. And that’s what I did not want to happen. Therefore, I did not share it with her or anyone else. That’s the bottom line. If you’re trying to keep something to yourself, you do just that. You keep it to yourself. Something of that magnitude had I told her, she was going to tell somebody. So, no I don’t take that back or “oh I should have told her.” No, I shouldn’tve told her. Why? Because I wanted to keep the sh*t to myself. Period. She would have told somebody I’m sorry.

So are you and Ariane cool?

Yeah, we’re cool. Everything you see on TV sometimes people put the two on the ten because it’s TV.

What were you’re thoughts when they announced that there would be new cast members on the show (i.e. Tiffany Foxx, Jessica Dimepiece, Premadonna)?

They [producers] are always looking for new cast members. The original cast wouldn’t have been able to carry the show year after year after year. They have to bring on other people. So no I wasn’t surprised that they were coming on the show.

It’s clear that you’ve entered into new business territory with M.F. Management. What inspired you to want to manage artists?

I’ve been around the music business for years and years and years. I know a lot of people in the music business. I know artists. Of course I dated Stevie J, my daughters father who is a producer. Like I just been around it for years. I have a lot of connections, a lot of resources and why not. I’m on “Love & Hip Hop” and there are artists on LHH, so why not.

Did you think that you’d have a rough time managing Jessica Dimepiece? Do you still work with here?

Absolutely. Nothing that you do is just going to come easy or fall in your lap. Especially if you haven’t done it before, there not going to be bumps in the road or issues or problems. So yes, I expected things to go arry. Nothing is perfect.

Are you still managing Tiffany Foxx? If so, what will we see become of her music career?

Let’s go back. I never was managing Tiffany. Tiffany has always had a manager. Her name is Brooke. I was never set up to be Tiffany’s manager. But what I did tell Tiffany I could do was be the liason between her and Stevie because she wanted a track from Stevie. So I told her I would do that for her. You know, like I said, I have connections.

As far as Jessica’s concerned, you’ll have to stay tuned.

UPDATE: As we’ve now seen on the finale episode of LHHATL, Jessica performed alongside Margeaux at a show Mimi set up. After their performance, Jessica felt as though Mimi wasn’t on her job as a manager-to-be and basically told Mimi that she was no longer f*cking with her. 

Last year, you and Dawn were working together. What happened?

Dawn was booking me like here and there. She never had anything to do with the deal.[the book deal]