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Source: Albert L. Ortega / Getty / Erica Mena
Erica Mena, one of Love & Hip Hop’s long-time cast members, is now out of a job due to her reckless mouth.
Erica Mena and her forehead vein services will no longer be needed on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. Mena got the boot from the VH1 reality show after she called fellow cast member and Reggae superstar Spice a slur during one of those classic LHHATL tense moments.
The reality show announced Mena is not returning for the next season in a statement shared on the show’s official X account.
“The Love & Hip Hop franchise has never shied away from hard conversations in our community. Working hand-in-hand with our partners, viewers will see the impact of Erica Mena’s remarks play out in the final three episodes of the season. Effective immediately, she will not appear in the next season of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” the statement reads.
In the episode, Erica Mena and Spice tried to discuss their differences. Mena was not fond of Spice’s friendship with her ex and the father of her children, Safaree, who is now “dating” Love & Hip Hop: Miami star Amara La Negra.
The conversation goes entirely left when Spice claims that Mena’s 16-year-old son, King, “hates” his mother, leading to Mena literally flipping the table on Spice and fellow cast member Shekinah, who was trying to mediate peace between them.
Social Media Is Lit Erica Mena Up
Before she got fired, social media was on Mena’s ridiculously tanned a**, dragging her for filth on the X (formerly known as Twitter), which probably led to VH1’s decision.
“Erica Mena is a white latino racist cosplaying as black woman. To call THEE Spice BLACK & MONKEY then a BLUE to say she should’ve died? YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING THAT COMES TO YOU!! EVERY SINGLE THING!!,” one X User wrote.
Another X user wrote, “The irony is, VH1/Viacom/Mona Scott saw this clip months ago and still decided to air it. It should’ve never seen the light of day and Erica Mena should’ve been let go immediately when it happened. They’re only doing this because of the outrage/backlash.”
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: Albert L. Ortega / Getty
3. Howling
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Source: Courtesy VH1 / Black Ink Crew
Puma and Teddy continue carrying the Black Ink torch without Ceaser and have narrowed the search for their new artists. The old artists are busy fraternizing with each other, and that could lead to some issues.
And Then There Were Eight
Last week, Puma and Teddy held a “mixer” to meet a gang of potential artists they could bring into the Black Ink brand when they move into their new shop.
This week’s episode opens up with Puma and Teddy going over their potential new artists, and after some discussions, the Black Ink OGs settle on eight of those artists to fill the booths at the new location they have not gotten yet.
Even after locking in the eight artists, there is still some doubt about the mission, and Puma links up with FUBU founder and successful entrepreneur and Shark Tank creator Daymond John. He preaches to Puma that Black Ink is more than just tattoos; it’s a brand, a much bigger movement. John also says that Puma and Teddy must continue to have a firm hold on the Black tattoo culture.
After talking with John, Puma realizes what he must do and decides to book a nice mansion to house the eight artists, where they will put to the tests to see if they are worthy of repping the Black Ink brand. If not, they will be sent home swiftly.
Finding new artists won’t be the only issue. There is still that lingering of Teddy’s criminal record hanging over his head, which he learns will take about 6-8 months to get rid of, which could impact him putting his name down on the new shop’s lease.
Nychelle Is Not Here For Alex’s Games
No longer dealing with Big Mama and becoming a proud amateur porn star, aka OnlyFans creator, Alex has sites on arguably the best-looking Black Ink Crew NYC cast member, Nychelle.
For plot lines sake, we are tolerating this, and Alex, for whatever reason, is playing games with Nychelle, and she is not here for it. Nychelle is all about her business and wants to be successful for herself and her son, and Alex seems to be playing games.
Nychelle is confused because Alex did many things, like come to Houston to see and spend time with her, but his recent behavior at the mixer says otherwise regarding his intentions with her.
Alex is fresh out of his three-year relationship with Donna and is not ready to get into another relationship, and basically wants his cake and ice cream when it comes to Nychelle, but he doesn’t want a relationship.
After a sushi date, Nychelle and Alex further prove they are not on the same page. Alex is not here for Nychelle’s “jealousy,” and Nychelle is not feeling the games Alex is playing.
Alex’s feelings change when he sees Nychelle interacting with other men during a speed dating event he put together for Rok. He tells his coworker he likes her a lot, and the two leave together.
You can see more reactions to the episode in the gallery below.
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Photo: Courtesy VH1 / Black Ink Crew
1. He’s too close
2. Still feel this way a week later
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Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty / The Breakfast Club
Get ready BET and VH1 viewers, Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy, aka The Breakfast Club, are coming.
Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, the famous New York morning show, is coming to BET. The Hollywood Reporter reports the Paramount Global-owned cable outlet and iHeart Media are partnering to “air a daily broadcast of the syndicated Breakfast Club radio show, hosted by Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy.”
BET & Its Sister Network VH1 Will Air A One-Hour Edition of The Show At 9 AM ET on Weekdays Starting April 17.
In a statement, BET CEO and President Scott Mills said, “We’re thrilled to partner with iHeartMedia to bring The Breakfast Club and their unique brand of entertainment and cultural commentary to our audiences.”
He continues, “We recognize the show’s influence and popularity, and we are confident that the partnership will be meaningful to our viewers and to our partners. Hosts Charlamagne and DJ Envy are longtime members of the BET and Paramount family, so we couldn’t be more excited to welcome The Breakfast Club home to BET.”
“What began as a daily morning radio show over a decade ago in New York City has now become a cultural beacon across America. This new partnership with BET will expand the radio show’s reach to millions more watching on this iconic television network,” ohn Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises at iHeartMedia, added.
The Breakfast Club’s Arrival On BET Marks The First Time The Network Will Have Daily Programming Since 106 & Park Ended In 2014.
“BET has been the home of so many cultural institutions, like Rap City and 106 & Park, that have shaped a generation,” Charlamagne Tha God said. “Those shows laid the foundation for The Breakfast Club to stand on and grow into the cultural institution that we have become. We look forward to carrying on the tradition.”
Co-Host DJ Envy added, “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to showcase The Breakfast Club on BET. I love what the new BET is doing!”
This development is interesting. The Breakfast Club used to air on Sean Diddy Comb’s REVOLT Network. Interestingly enough, Combs is one of the names on a short list that includes Tyler Perry and Byron Allen, who want to purchase a majority stake in the company after reports surface that Paramount Global is exploring a sale.
Congrats to the world’s most dangerous morning show.
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Photo: Bennett Raglin / Getty
Paramount is exploring a potential sale of a majority stake in its BET business, which includes BET, VH1, and the BET+ streaming service, a source familiar with the matter tells The Hollywood Reporter.
The source cautioned that the discussions are still in the early stages, and there is no guarantee of any transaction taking place. They added that if a deal closes, Paramount expects to maintain a minority stake in the business, as well as a commercial relationship. Scott Mills serves as BET’s CEO.
BET is also unusual within Paramount’s portfolio in that some of its divisions have minority investors of their own. BET+, for example, counts Tyler Perry as an investor, while BET Studios counts Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones as stakeholders. Those deals would complicate any effort to merge BET+ or BET Studios into Paramount+ or one of the company’s other studios.
Such a deal, if it happens, would give Paramount cash as it continues to build out its main streaming offering, Paramount+, and as it reviews its holdings and figures out where things piece together in its strategy moving forward.
In January, the company announced plans to merge its Paramount+ and Showtime businesses.
Founded in 1980 by former cable lobbyist Robert Johnson and his wife Sheila Johnson, the BET channel was the first cable network to specifically cater to African American audiences. Paramount (then known as Viacom) acquired BET in 2000 for $2.3 billion.
While it is too early to say who potential buyers could be, given BET’s status in the African American community, high-net-worth Black individuals, or a Black-led company, would make some sense. A number of high-profile advertisers, including General Motors and Coca-Cola, have committed to significantly increase their ad spend on minority-owned media companies. While BET targets a minority audience, its Paramount ownership would not fit that bill.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the discussions.
This story originally appeared at THR.com.
BET president and CEO Scott Mills is adding to his portfolio at Paramount Global.
In the latest piece of reorganization at the conglomerate, VH1 will move under Mills’ BET Media Group. The cable outlet was previously part of the Chris McCarthy-led Paramount Media Networks, along with Paramount Network, MTV, Comedy Central, CMT and others.
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday (see it in full here) that the move will allow for better alignment of priorities and make VH1 “best positioned for future success as a key part of the powerful BET ecosystem.” VH1 is the second most popular entertainment cable outlet among Black viewers, behind only BET.
It also lightens the load for McCarthy, a Bakish favorite who will add premium cabler Showtime to his purview following David Nevins’ departure at the end of the year. MTV Entertainment Studios, headed by McCarthy and Nina L. Diaz, will continue to produce a number of VH1 series, including the Love & Hip Hop franchise, RuPaul’s Drag Race and Black Ink Crew.
The VH1 move also separates it from MTV in Paramount’s structure, ending almost four decades of close association between the two networks. The cable network started in 1985 as a music-video channel targeting a somewhat older audience than the youth-driven MTV. It eventually branched into original programming with shows like Behind the Music, I Love the … and a host of “celebreality” shows like Rock of Love and The Surreal Life. And, like MTV, it has mostly left its music roots behind.
As has been the case across the cable universe, VH1’s on-air audience has declined in recent years as increasing numbers of TV consumers opt out of cable subscriptions. Within that smaller ecosystem, however, it still ranks in the upper third of cable networks in the key ad demographic of adults 18-49.
VH1 will join a BET Media Group that also includes the namesake cable channel, streaming platform BET+, BET Her, BET Studios and BET Digital. “Scott and his team continue to drive the evolution and growth of BET by building an interconnected set of leading platforms — linear, streaming, digital and studios — centered around the Black community, Black culture and content,” Bakish wrote.
Read Bakish’s full memo.
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