Drita D’Avanzo on Her Mother’s Battle With Breast Cancer: “It Was a Very Hard Time in My Life” (EXCLUSIVE)

Fans were so excited when Mob Wives alum Drita D’Avanzo returned to the small screen with VH1’s new reality series Scared Famous — where celebrities competed in a series of terrifying tasks for money to donate to the charity of their choice. In an exclusive interview with In Touch, the mother-of-two opened up about why she chose to compete in order to benefit breast cancer research.

“I had two choices and we went with breast cancer. My mom is a breast cancer survivor, so it meant a lot to me. Even though it would be wonderful to give money to any charity, this hit home with me,” the LadyBoss owner said as she teamed up with Hot Societe Boutique in Ossining, NY, owned by Edith Santiago, to celebrate Customer Appreciation Day.

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She then added, “It was a very hard time in my life. My mom was very sick, so I really wanted to win the money. I’m actually a very sensitive, friendly person — the audience does not know this, they don’t know that side of me.”

Drita’s return to the small screen was most definitely not short-lived, as she is currently working with producer Jenn Roth on her own TV show. “It’s going to be really funny, but at the same time it’s going to be really touching,” the reality star explained.

“There are a lot of women that look up to me, and they have gone through really hard situations and they really overcame it. I helped them do that. There will be a lot of different scenarios. We have a lot of different show options right now.”

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She will also take part in the Jersey Shore spin-off, titled Celebrity Shore, alongside Jenni “JWOWW” Farley and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi. “I have a lot of respect for them and their families. I think they’re great,” she gushed about the MTV sweethearts.

“There’s a time in life when you party, and there’s a time where you grow up and you handle your s–t. That’s why I have a lot of respect for them. They’re wonderful. They’re beautiful and they’re sweet. I think that’s going to be a really fun show.”

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