Flavor of Love Lasts Only A Few Months

In the end, the Jersey girl got a bunch of roses and a custom-made "grill" from the rapper of her dreams.

But since the end of VH-1's "Flavor of Love," a reality dating show starring Public Enemy's Flavor Flav, he and his choice Nikki "Hoopz" Alexander have parted ways, Alexander said.

The dating show was Flav's third outing with the pop-culture channel, on which he had starred in "The Surreal Life" and then in "Strange Love" with then-girlfriend Brigitte Nielsen. He entered into "Flavor of Love" with 20 women (each given a crazy nickname by Flav himself) to choose from, winnowing them down each week after crazy competitions and catfights.

The result was one of VH-1's most successful shows, with its six million viewers split between good-girl Hoopz, waiflike blonde Pumkin and conniving New York.

Alexander (who got her nickname Hoopz because she described herself as a sports fanatic) sailed through the competition with a smile and shared some steamy makeout sessions with Mr. Flav. But she told a Detroit-area newspaper that they're "better off just being friends" after spending lots of time together traveling and getting to know each other better.



Not that Alexander's worried about her future -- the former escort is busy fielding interviews and reading scripts, hoping to break into the world of acting. Unlike some of her fellow contestants, "Flavor of Love" was her first reality-dating show, but it may not be her last.

Meanwhile, postings have appeared on free-classified website Craigslist.org advertising casting for the second season of "Flavor of Love." Call it the triumph of hope over experience.

Catch Alexander -- sorry, Hoopz -- on the "Flavor of Love" reunion special tonight at 8PM EDT, along with Smiley, Serious and all your other spurned favorite ladies.