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How Interviewing the ‘Cash Me Ousside’ Girl Ruined the Magic of Memes

Don’t ask her about Dr. Phil.

I, like nearly everyone who inhabits the internet, was temporarily enthralled with the Dr. Phil guest-turned-meme Danielle Bregoli, aka "Cash Me Ousside, How Bow Dah" Girl. For weeks, gifs and videos of Bregoli had staying power on social media and thrust her into fame that led to hoards of paparazzi following her wherever she went.

It all started with a Dr. Phil episode about Bregoli, a 13-year-old whose mom said she was "out of control," stealing her car, and getting violent with her. If you have somehow avoided the following clip, which has been viewed over 31 million times, here you go:

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An interview request I sent to Bregoli at the beginning of this month went unanswered until yesterday, when one of her PR people finally replied. After they suggested an email interview and I said I only would do one over the phone, we set it up. It turns out I should have followed Charlamagne Tha God's example and declined because, holy shit, out of the hundreds of interviews I've done, this was surely one of the most painful.

That being said, this girl is 13 years old, and I'm not hating. It has to be hard to become so famous at such a young age, especially via becoming a meme. But with one of her managers jumping in, interrupting me, and being hung up on (supposedly on accident), this shit was just super fucking bizarre.

VICE: How did you end up on the original Dr. Phil episode in the first place?
Danielle Bregoli: Umm… I just ended up there.

Did your mom set it up or?
I have no idea.

What has your relationship with your mom been like since you were on that first episode?
It's been fine.

Can you explain that a bit more to me? Did your relationship improve at all?
Our relationship was always fine. It's a show—shows make up stories and lie.

What was made up on the show?
The whole show basically.

What has been the most challenging part about becoming famous via being a meme?
I don't know. I don't really care much about being a meme. That's not what I want to be known for, as being a meme from 2016. That's not what I'm here for.

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So what do you want to be known for?
Acting.

What kind of acting do you want to do?
Just acting, like TV shows and movies.

What is it like to have paparazzi following you around all of a sudden?
I mean, it's kind of crazy. I don't think about it too much.

I mean, how has that affected your life? Are you not able to do the kind of shit you could before?
No, I can't. I can't even go to the mall anymore. I have to bring 17 security guards… or it feels like it.

How do you deal with hate on the internet?
People do it, but I just don't deal with it.

How did you feel going back on Dr. Phil for the second time?
[long pause] I just don't want to talk about Dr. Phil so…

OK, can you talk to me about what happened with the Kodak Black video ?
Manager: Can you ask some more relevant questions?

*Manager and Bregoli have nearly inaudible discussion in the background*

Manager: Do you want to ask any more questions?
Umm, yeah, I guess. What's the deal with what you said about Kylie Jenner? Do you have beef with her?
Bregoli: I don't have beef with her, I just don't like her. She's never said anything to me, so that's not considered beef. I just don't like her. They asked me a question, so I answered it. If they asked me if I like Beyoncé, I'm going to tell you no also. There's people I don't like.

What do you think about Soulja Boy? You also said some comments about him?
Bregoli: [laughs] I didn't say anything to Soulja Boy… My manager did!
Manager: Your other manager, not me!

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So you don't actually have beef with him either?
Bregoli: No.

What is real about you then? The shit on Dr. Phil wasn't real, the Soulja Boy shit isn't real… What are you about?
Bregoli: [inaudible except the word "bitch"] I don't know, everything is real about me. What other people do with my name is something else, but what I do… If you hear me say it, unless you physically hear me say it—you see me say it, and you're standing there—don't believe it.

A few moments after this statement, the phone call ended. I can never be sure what exactly happened or if it was intentional, but Bregoli's manager called me back within a minute. He said the phone hung up when she handed it to him. He then complained about the questions I asked, said Bregoli isn't good with phone interviews, and that she hasn't had media training. I said I totally get it, because for fuck's sake she is 13 years old.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Follow Allison Tierney on Twitter .