Beyond The Video Girl: Buffie The Body Is Living Life On Her Own Terms

There’s no way to talk about the height of hip-hop fashion, beauty and the video vixen era without mentioning Buffie the Body.

Curvy, chocolate and gorgeous, Buffie was that girl. She had the girl-next-door face and curves that made her one of the most recognizable video vixens of the era. And let’s be clear, those curves were natural. This was before the age of BBLs and plastic surgeons on speed dial.

Buffie served the girls without a nip or tuck.

Many of us wanted to look like her, and the men wanted to be with her. Buffie knew it, too. Her fashion was bold and unapologetic. The South Carolina native wore bright colors, bodycon dresses and figure-hugging fits that showed off every curve.

She graced magazine covers, appeared in some of our favorite music videos and hosted parties across the country. Buffie made her mark on the culture, especially during the 2000s, when video vixens were becoming celebrities in their own right.

Daytime TV host Tamron Hall explored this on her namesake show on October 9. But the conversation wasn’t focused solely on the fame, fashion or body that made her a household name.

Buffie is living a completely different life these days – and she’s loving it.

Buffie The Body Opens Up About Fame, Modeling And Walking Away

The interview came after Buffie participated in a viral social media trend inspired by Netflix documentaries. Her hilarious take on the trend, which showed her embracing yard work instead of her former video vixen lifestyle, received more than a million views.

The clip also caught Tamron’s attention.

Buffie shared on Instagram that several outlets had approached her about interviews over the years. However, she was particular about where she wanted to tell her story.

“If the focus couldn’t be on my clothing brand, Brick Built, my yard and home projects, or my current lifestyle, then I wasn’t interested,” she wrote.

She explained that most interview requests focused on her video vixen days, a lifestyle she hasn’t lived in more than 15 years. The Tamron Hall Show was different because the producers wanted to discuss her life today.

“For the first time in my life, I get to sit down for an interview that feels like it’s about Buffie, the woman I am today, and not just Buffie The Body, the woman the world knew years ago,” she added.

During their conversation, Buffie revealed that modeling was never something she planned to pursue. Her career began after a photo shoot in Baltimore, where she simply wanted pictures for her boyfriend.

Those photos eventually made their way online, spreading through message boards and Yahoo groups. Before she knew it, Buffie was booking music videos, magazine shoots and hosting opportunities.

And while we remember her as one of the most recognizable women of that era, Buffie saw the work differently.

It was an opportunity to make money, buy a home and support herself. She also shared that she was in her early 40s while working alongside women in their 20s.

“When the money stopped, I stopped,” she told Tamron.

Buffie explained that she wasn’t interested in continuing to play the character people expected. Even when reality television opportunities came her way, she didn’t want to return to the same image.

“I don’t want to do that anymore,” she recalled thinking.

From Video Vixen To Gardening: Buffie Is Showing Us A Different Side

These days, Buffie is trading some of those bodycon dresses and heels for work boots, gardening tools and home improvement projects.

If you’ve visited her social media pages lately, you’ve probably seen her cutting down trees, working in her yard, dyeing mulch or experimenting with mulch glue.

Her gardening and landscaping content has attracted a new audience of followers, some of whom have even asked to hire her. But Buffie isn’t interested in turning every hobby into another business.

She enjoys having something that’s simply hers.

“I feel like it’s okay to not be doing anything,” she said while discussing the pressure to keep working and accepting opportunities.

She also has no problem turning down things that no longer interest her.

“I can say no real easy, and don’t even feel bad about it,” she told Tamron.

And while she’s enjoying her hobbies, Buffie is still handling business. She manages her clothing line, Brick Built, and shares other personal interests with her growing online community. “I’m living my life now because I’m doing everything that I want to do,” she said.

We love seeing this side of Buffie.

For years, so much of her fame centered on her body, her beauty and the way she looked. Now, she’s letting people get to know her through the things that genuinely make her happy.