Kahlen Rondot was a contestant and runner-up in Cycle 4 of ANTM.
At the beginning of the competition, Kahlen’s lack of confidence sometimes got the best of her; however, she consistently produced excellent photographs; at the final judging panel, the judges noted that Kahlen had provided one of the best portfolios in all the previous cycles. The judges were most impressed with Kahlen’s portrayal of the Springbok, South Africa’s national animal, and when she portrayed Wrath during a shoot based on the 7 Deadly Sins. They were especially wowed by Kahlen’s 7 Deadly Sins shoot because, in the same week, a friend from high school had died. She was called first that week.
When she made the “final six”, Nigel Barker praised Kahlen by stating, “You are a chameleon. You have the ability to turn into anything and everything. It’s not sexy, but it’s very cool.”
Kahlen made it to the final two, but the judges felt that Naima stole the runway show. Tyra compared Kahlen to a girl who “did good all semester and kinda failed her final exams,” and Naima to a girl who “did fair during the whole semester and ‘killed’ the final exams.” Like all the girls who got Janice Dickinson’s vote she ended runner-up. She was recently voted as one of the most memorable contestants by AOL entertainment, where it is stated that “She should have won her cycle.”
Since the show Kahlen has appeared on numerous talk shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Tyra Banks Show. During an interview on the Tyra Banks show, she revealed that her friends sexually assaulted her when she was intoxicated at a party.
In 2005, the Oklahoma State Senate honored her with a resolution “congratulating Kahlen for representing Oklahoma on a national television program (and) commending her for her outstanding showing on America’s Next Top Model.”
Her ANTM-related work includes US Weekly’s Summer Hottest Trends with Naima Mora and Keenyah Hill, ElleGirl presents Dare To Be You: Wal-Mart Meets America’s Next Top Models 2005 and its second installment where she walked for Alice and Olivia’s Fall 2006 to raise funds against breast cancer, spreads in Elle Girl for Ford Fusion and Samsung, Jay Manuel’s Manual Override Cosmetic line, Radar magazine’s America’s Ex Top Models and a campaign for Tulipa Collection by Vanessa Barantes with fellow alum Rebecca Epley.
Her non-ANTM related work includes a spread in Vice magazine. Although she was not the winner of her cycle, her promotional picture is used as the shadowed “top model” on the Germany’s Next Top Model’s logo. In July 2007, salacious images – allegedly of Kahlen – appeared on the Internet, but their provenance remains unknown.
Despite being considered a stand-out in her cycle, Kahlen struggled to get signed by a modeling agency, which many say is because of her resemblance to Carmen Kass.
Kahlen is no longer modeling. She currently works as a bartender in New York City, and plans to someday open her own bar.
Source: Wikipedia
Source: All ANTM
Source: Kahlen’s Public Myspace
Source: Kahlen’s Personal Myspace
Source: Kahlen’s Facebook
Source: Kahlen’s Twitter
Source: ANTM
Source: ANTM
Source: ANTM
Source: ANTM / Nigel Barker
Source: ANTM / Nigel Barker
Source: ANTM / Danielle Levitt
Source: ANTM / Danielle Levitt
Source: ANTM / Tracy Bayne
Source: ANTM / Tracy Bayne THREE
Source: ANTM / Delaney Gitte
Source: ANTM / Mathu Anderson
Source: ANTM / Mathu Anderson
Source: ANTM / Kwaku Alston
Source: ANTM / Kwaku Alston
Source: ANTM/ Johann Wolf
Source: ANTM / Johann Wolf
Source: ANTM / Gerda Genis
Source: ANTM / Gerda Genis
Source: ANTM / Anton Robert
Source: ANTM / Anton Robert
Source: ANTM / Johan Wilke
Source: ANTM / Johan Wilke
Source: ANTM / Helmut Rautenbach
Source: Manuel Override Cosmetics
To view more photos of Kahlen, click here.
August 10, 2010 at 8:00 am
She should have won, but because she had blonde hair and blue eyes the judges wanted to view her as commercial. I also think they thought Naima would never be signed.
January 30, 2011 at 11:58 am
I think she won because Naima obviously models better and Naima clearly has more beauty. I mean come on, look at the hair.
March 4, 2011 at 3:43 am
“Naima obviously models better and Naima clearly has more beauty.”
You’re kidding me, right? She’s not pretty and has no personality. She’s not a memorable girl in the cycle. She won, but definitely not a top model. I’ve seen her pimply face in Proactiv ads. Yeah, that’s what a top model does.
October 16, 2011 at 6:21 pm
agree with MB … Naima pretty ? hahaha .. no way, girl .. Naima was boring, her hair sucked and her skin wasnt clean and clear (like Yaya in the beginnin of S3)
Kahleen aint nothin special but definately was better than Naima
August 16, 2010 at 6:08 am
She should have won. And Carmen Kass is so old now! Kahlen is prettier; I’m shocked that she is not modeling anymore.
September 30, 2010 at 10:13 pm
The true winner of Cycle 4!
October 14, 2010 at 12:20 pm
I really wanted her to win. She was so beautiful and had lots of potential. I wish she continued modeling. She could`ve been a top model and maybe an aspiring supermodel. But still, I love her. She is so remarkable and beautiful. I like her so much better than Naima. She really should have won.
October 21, 2010 at 7:29 am
Um, get it over it. She won! She is hella gorgeous and Kahlen was one of my favorites. Actually, I liked her more than Naima, but OH WELL! Naima has talent and beauty.
October 28, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I hate it! How could she not win? With these looks? Oh no, no, no! I was upset. I am a fan of ANTM here in the Philippines and I’m really disappointed. How could Tyra let go of her? And Naima? Yah, she looks good, but this girl stuns me more! And when I say more, it’s 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times of beauty than Naima. I am sad that she does not model anymore.
November 6, 2010 at 12:15 am
Here is the real winner of Cycle 4! You go Kahlen!
November 11, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Out of the final two, she needed this win more than Naima. Kahlen looks like some models from this industry and it was really what killed her career before it was born.
November 14, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Does anyone know which restaurant she works at right now?
November 25, 2010 at 3:56 am
I wish that Kahlen would read these comments, because then she might see how good she really is and she would see how many people love her. And just maybe she would start modeling again. But a girl can only pray and wish for that to happen.
November 25, 2010 at 5:28 am
Wow. I’m very surprised she isn’t modeling anymore! Wow, I thought she was great!
December 10, 2010 at 1:13 am
I was really surprised too like a lot of you that Kahlen had not won!!!!! I simply LOVE her!!!!!
December 10, 2010 at 1:19 am
From Russia with love to Kahlen!
December 18, 2010 at 5:41 pm
I can’t believe that she isn’t modeling anymore what happened?? why did she stop??
February 7, 2011 at 3:54 am
If she was such a great model and should have won, why is she no longer modeling? The Judges got it right.
February 7, 2011 at 5:29 am
She should keep modeling. I think she would’ve been a better win than Naima, but if she gave up on modeling then I guess this just wasn’t her thing. Still what a waste of spot for someone else who could’ve gotten a little more help in the industry if they were on the show.
March 2, 2011 at 4:03 am
I enjoy watching the reruns of ANTM, which appear on Tuesdays, in my city, on Oxygen. I always come to this site to read about the contestants while the show is on. I honestly believe that Naima was a better model on the show and that she won fairly.
Kahlen, on the other hand, is a woman with not an ounce of confidence. As the #2 model, she should have been able to use that distinction to her advantage. Instead, she quit modeling. I was prompted to write on this blog because in a one-on-one she just said that she gives up when things don’t go the way she wants because she doesn’t want to fail! Unfortunately, I’m afraid to think of where Kahlen will end up in life if she continues quitting, which is the ultimate sign of failure. I also believe that had she won, she would have quit once the guaranteed items were over and she was on her own.
March 30, 2011 at 1:52 am
I’m mad she’s bartending right now instead of fighting to be the awesome model she can be. It breaks my heart to see such talent wasted.
April 1, 2011 at 6:02 am
Kahlen is great.
April 22, 2011 at 8:28 pm
think they both deserved 2 win, kahlen may be prettier but naima was the better *MODEL*
May 31, 2011 at 7:44 am
I really wish she had continued modeling. She should have won this cycle! I am tired of them letting blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls into the finals just to tell them they are too ‘commercial’. I’m sorry, but Naima was the ugliest of the bunch. BIG mistake ANTM!
June 19, 2011 at 1:00 am
I agree with you. Can you imagine what could be if she had won? After watching the 4th season I thought she would work so hard to make judges understand they had been wrong. And now I`m sad-she had everything to become the best…and she still has it but doesn`t use! That sucks a lot…
July 17, 2011 at 8:23 am
She does want to model, I think, but it’s stated that she’s struggling to get signed. Wanting to be a model is one thing but if no one wants to sign her… it’s no use even if we all love her. Models are unlike movie stars – If you have alot of fans doesn’t mean you will get signed for a job….
July 29, 2011 at 9:05 pm
She is one of my favourite of ever in ANTM..look at her portfolio, she’ s great!I’m so sorry not to see her continue modelling,
…..so much talent and versatility!…
August 12, 2011 at 7:21 am
she works at 3 bars in brooklyn ny. the ontario, midway and lady jays. she is now completely covered tattoos including her neck and hands. sometimes the modeling industry is too much for some people to handle.
September 11, 2011 at 5:45 am
I loved her on the show. She may have actually become a Top Model. I liked Naima, but I still think Kahlen was better. Kahlen, if you read this, start modeling again!
September 11, 2011 at 5:48 am
Wow, she STRUGGLED to get signed? Every girl I’ve read about so far managed to get some kind of contract. I couldn’t believe Ambreal got a contract, I mean she has a great body and skin, but a big nose and is weird looking (hate be mean, but…) I’m really surprised.
October 9, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Love her sooooooo much! She didn’t “failed” in her last exams like Tyra said. Even the judges told Naima that didn’t like her Covergirl photoshoot as Kahlen’s. She should’ve won her cycle!
October 26, 2011 at 9:35 am
Naima basically quit modeling too. She’s in a band. Kahlen was the better ignite two but I’m also biased because she’s from my hometown.
November 24, 2011 at 6:08 pm
I just finished watching the Cycle 4 finale, and I really, really loved her. And Rebecca. She was so humble, she always stayed true to herself and others. I KNOW she would’ve had a great career as a model. What I think is that in the end, at the fashion show, she realized how much she really wanted to win, she finally got to realize how beautiful and sexy she was. Then losing to Naima after such realization made her disappointed in herself, and modeling. At least I believe so …
She has a great spirit. I wished they both would’ve won.
Underneath it all, Naima deserved it, too.
December 17, 2011 at 8:58 pm
I didn’t remember her but yeah, she should have won over Naima, in fact my grandmother should have won over Naima! lol
December 25, 2011 at 9:15 am
Kahlen was my favorite since episode one, every time I pray god she does not fail. By the top 4 I was 100% Kahlen will win, but then at the final show, I was amazed by Naima’s perform that I believed she deserve to win now, and when it happened, I was happy, so I guess that mean Naima deserves it.
January 1, 2012 at 7:54 am
I’m thoroughly disappointed that she’s not modeling anymore. I liked Naima a lot, but I loved Kahlen.