Erica Mena is not coming back Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta after recently calling her co-star Spice a racial slur.
The TV franchise announced the news on Saturday in an official statement on Instagram and Twitter (now known as X). “The Love and hip hop franchise has never shied away from difficult conversations in our community,” the statement began.
“Working hand-in-hand with our partners, viewers will see the impact of Erica Mena’s remarks play out over the final three episodes of the season,” the statement continued. “Effective immediately, it will not appear in the next season Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta.”
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Representatives for both Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta and Mena did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, while a representative for Spice could not be reached.
During the episode that aired on August 29, Mena and Spice, born Grace Latoya Hamilton, were involved in a heated argument that escalated when the 35-year-old actress overturned a table and producers had to separate the two women.
The explosive argument stemmed from a discussion of Mena’s divorce from ex Safaree Samuels, with whom she shares daughter Safire, 3, and son Legend, 2.
The two continued to exchange blows, with Spice, 41, yelling that her 16-year-old son King, who she shares with ex Raul Conde, “hates” her. In response, Mena shouted, “You monkey, you fucking monkey!” Earlier in the episode, Mena said that Spice, who has blonde hair, “should have died.”
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Erica Mena (left) was fired after calling Costar Spice a “monkey”.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty, Arturo Holmes/Getty
After footage of their fight went viral, Spice addressed the incident in a since-deleted Instagram post that showed Mena engaged in two separate arguments with actors Lil Scrappy and Stevie J when she talked about her children.
“Children are forbidden, right??????? But I guess it’s only when I asked because where’s the same energy when Scrappy and Stevie J were talking about it,” Spice wrote, per Vibe. “But now I’m a monkey and I was supposed to die on the table? All right, Erica.”
According to ForbesMena has previously used racial slurs to insult her ex Love and Hip Hop: New York costar Jhonni Blaze, as well as several promoters in 2015 calling them “Black Monkeys”.
After starring in the original New York installment of the franchise, Mena joined Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta aired its seventh season in 2018 before becoming a series regular in 2020.
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Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education