What began as a routine reality television show fight turned into a full-blown scandal. Now-former Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta cast member Erica Mena is asking for forgiveness for her racially insensitive actions.
A recent Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta episode featured a verbal dispute between Erica Mena and Jamaican musician Spice. At one point, Mena referred to her adversary as a “f###### blue monkey.”
That insult sparked widespread backlash as many social media users slammed Mena for using a racist slur against African Americans. Love & Hip Hop later announced the firing of the TV personality.
“The Love & Hip Hop franchise has never shied away from hard conversations in our community,” read a statement posted to the MTV program’s social media accounts.
It continued, “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.”
— Love & Hip Hop (@loveandhiphop) September 2, 2023
Erica Mena Says She Takes Full Responsibility For Her Comments
Following her removal from the Love & Hip Hop franchise, Erica Mena released her own statement to TMZ. The 35-year-old woman of Puerto Rican and Dominican ancestry insisted she understood the “gravity” of her remarks.
“I deeply regret my insensitive comment and want to humbly apologize to anybody I hurt or offended by my thoughtlessness. My choice of words was wrong, and I take full responsibility for what I said,” Mena stated.
The ex-wife of Love & Hip Hop: Miami star Safaree Samuels also added, “As a woman of color and the mother of two black children, I want to make it clear that my use of that word was not in any way racially driven.”
Erica Mena spent several years as part of the Love & Hip Hop: New York cast before becoming a regular on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. The model/actress has also appeared in several Tubi movies such as The Stepmother and Picture Me Dead.