Erica Mena shocked Love and Hip Hop fans in 2023. She referred to fellow cast member Spice as a “blue monkey” during an episode, and was widely criticized for her racially-charged comment. Mena was then kicked off the show. The reality star was initially reluctant to apologize, but she walked back her stance in a recent appearance on Cam Newton’s Funky Friday podcast. Mena tried to make it clear that she was in the wrong. It didn’t do much to repair things with Spice, however. The Love and Hip Hop star made her opinion known in a scathing IG rant.
Let’s unpack Erica Mena’s apology, first. The reality star admitted she was being insensitive towards others. “I’m disappointed in the fact that I let down women of color who felt that I was speaking in that manner,” she told Cam Newton. She did, however, claim that her “blue monkey” comment was taken out of context. Mena felt that the Love and Hip Hop producers didn’t show what Spice was saying and doing before Mena lashed out. “I do wish that more of her actions were shown,” she stated. “So the audience had a better understanding of what provoked me.”
Spice did not like what she heard. The Love and Hip Hop took to the Shade Room comment section to get her bars off. And did she ever. Spice immediately called out Erica Mena for being disingenuous with her apology. She also claimed Mena was adopting a “victim mentality” to elicit sympathy. “Take me out of the equation since you still have a Victim mentality in our situation,” she wrote. “Remember you are a repeated offender. You have no remorse for a culture that put millions of [dollars] in your pocket. You could have said anything but you chose to disrespect a whole Nation.”
Spice didn’t stop there. She implied that the “blue monkey” controversy was not an isolated incident. She implied that Erica Mena regularly displayed racism on the set of Love and Hip Hop. “Blue monkey,” evidently, was just the one that got her in trouble. “You couldn’t sit at my table because I been knew you think you’re better than dark skin girls,” Spice asserted. “I heard how you spoke about me behind my back, you just got caught on camera that day.” Unsurprisingly, Mena has not responded.
Erica Mena recently sat down with Cam Newton on the Funky Friday podcast to reflect on the controversy surrounding comments she made toward her Love and Hip Hop castmate, Spice. She infamously described the Jamaican artist as a “blue monkey,” sparking tons of backlash on social media. Speaking about the incident, Mena admitted that she has since realized her “actions have a lot more of an impact than I ever thought it had.” She added that she was “disappointed that [she] let down women of color,” but still wishes the show featured more of Spice’s behavior that provoked her in the first place. Additionally, she feels there’s a “bigger mission now” and wants to take on a movie role to empower women.
In response to the comments, Spice posted a lengthy statement firing back in the comments of a post from The Shade Room. She began: “Girl bye, at least you confessed that you requested to speak to me, because on a normal day you couldn’t sit at my table because I been knew you think you’re better than dark skin girls. I heard how you spoke about me behind my back, you just got caught on Camera that day. Take me out of the equation since you still have a Victim mentality in our situation. What was the reason you called the promoters in Miami Black animals and monkey. Why did you call Johnni Blaze a black monkey? (Everything is on Google)”
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 11: Erica Mena attends BET’s Social Awards 2018 at Tyler. Perry Studio on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
She continued: “You brought your own son to the conversation, and you came to that table to talk about Amaras twins, no one can’t provoke you to say racial slurs. Remember ‘You are a repeated offender’ you have no remorse for a culture that put millions of [dollars] in your pocket. You could have said anything but you chose to disrespect a whole Nation. Interviews are not therapy but Carry on.” Check out Mena’s full comments on the situation below.
Mena ended up being let go from Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta over the “blue monkey” remarks. Be on the lookout for further updates on Erica Mena on HotNewHipHop.
Erica Mena and Safaree do not have a great relationship right now. Overall, the last couple of years has seen their partnership become strained and tumultuous. They are no longer together and while they do co-parent their two kids, Mena does not seem to be all that amused with the job Safaree is doing. As we reported yesterday, Mena went on a rant against Safaree. This was all in retaliation to Safaree’s comments about how Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill’s relationship put him in a dark place.
In yesterday’s post, Mena claimed that Safaree cares more about chasing clout off Nicki then actually paying attention to his own kids. Throughout her most recent rant, Mena went off on the father of her children, even more. Based on her comments below, it is very clear that she has had enough of him. As you can see, she claims that Safaree rarely ever engages with his children. When he does, he allegedly only does so for a photo opp. Furthermore, she said that he is “sloppy and cheap” especially as it pertains to how he dresses them.
Mena also accused Safaree of focusing on himself too much, and attempting to look like a “bad bitch.” It was all very scathing, and it’s clear that Mena has been feeling this way for a very long time. Only time will tell whether or not Safaree chooses to respond. After all, there were some pretty massive accusations about his parenting here.
Let us know what you think of Mena’s latest Instagram rant, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that she is taking things way too far against Safaree right now? Do you think Safaree is going to respond any time soon? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Erica Mena and Safaree do not have a great relationship right now. Overall, the last couple of years has seen their partnership become strained and tumultuous. They are no longer together and while they do co-parent their two kids, Mena does not seem to be all that amused with the job Safaree is doing. As we reported yesterday, Mena went on a rant against Safaree. This was all in retaliation to Safaree’s comments about how Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill’s relationship put him in a dark place.
In yesterday’s post, Mena claimed that Safaree cares more about chasing clout off Nicki then actually paying attention to his own kids. Throughout her most recent rant, Mena went off on the father of her children, even more. Based on her comments below, it is very clear that she has had enough of him. As you can see, she claims that Safaree rarely ever engages with his children. When he does, he allegedly only does so for a photo opp. Furthermore, she said that he is “sloppy and cheap” especially as it pertains to how he dresses them.
Mena also accused Safaree of focusing on himself too much, and attempting to look like a “bad bitch.” It was all very scathing, and it’s clear that Mena has been feeling this way for a very long time. Only time will tell whether or not Safaree chooses to respond. After all, there were some pretty massive accusations about his parenting here.
Let us know what you think of Mena’s latest Instagram rant, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that she is taking things way too far against Safaree right now? Do you think Safaree is going to respond any time soon? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Erica Mena and Safaree’s relationship has been tumultuous to say the least. Overall, the two are no longer together, despite having two children. Ultimately, their relationship played out on shows like Love & Hip-Hop. This isn’t always conducive to a healthy relationship, all things considered. However, there is no doubt that these two will oftentimes quarrel on social media, for everyone to see. Sometimes, these quarrels are a bit one-sided with one party getting in their feelings.
Recently, in an interview, Safaree spoke about his infamous relationship with Nicki Minaj. During the interview, he noted that the years following their breakup were tough. Some people didn’t want to be around him, and overall, it was just a dark time. However, it doesn’t seem like Mena has any sympathy for her ex. In fact, she took to Instagram and unleashed some venom on Safaree. Essentially, she feels as though his behavior is embarrassing.
“I will FOREVER be embarrassed that I gave sis these incredible beautiful babies,” Mena wrote. “He don’t even talk or care about his seeds this much online or in real life.” Mena then doubled back in the comments section over at The Shade Room with more commentary. “Hopefully sis can end his dead beat struggle next,” she wrote. If one thing is for certain, it is that there is no love lost between these two.
Let us know what you think of these comments from Erica Mena, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that it was a good idea to air all of this out publically? What do you make of Safaree continuously talking about his relationship with Nicki? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Erica Mena and Nicki Minaj have a complicated history. Both women had relationships with Safaree Samuels, and Mena even has kids with him. These circumstances have led to some fraught exchanges on social media, as well as some passive aggressive remarks made about one another during interviews. That being said, they can occasionally see eye to eye. Nicki Minaj recently posted a video in which she discussed the difficulties of being a mother, and Mena actually showed support.
Minaj’s post threw many fans off due to the rapper’s appearance and speech. She can be seen wearing a hair-cap and speaking very slowly. She seemed on the brink of tears at points. Regardless of what was going, Erica Mena showered the rapper with support. “You got this,” she commented. “Sending real love. Mom life isn’t easy.” Fans were even more surprised to spot Mena’s positivity, given the negative things she’s said about Minaj in the past. In 2018, Mena posted photos of Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez, Lil Kim and Remy Ma on her Instagram with the caption: “Inspirations.” When a user asked whether Minaj was an inspiration, Mena fired back by asking “who?”.
In 2022, the reality star asserted that she wasn’t a fan of Nicki Minaj’s music. She went as far as to claim that the rapper blew up by copying Lil Kim’s style. “Honestly I grew up on Kim so heavy,” she told Hot 97. “When [Nicki] came out, I was like ‘ugh she’s biting my girl.’ It just was what it was.” The tension between these two women have cooled off in recent years, however. Part of it may be due to their shared issues with Safaree Samuels. Minaj’s split from the producer/rapper was messy, as was Erica Mena’s divorce in 2022. Mena attacked Samuels for cheating on her with Love And Hip Hop Miami star Amara La Negra. She even pointed out that Samuels gave more attention to La Negra’s kids than the ones he had with her.
“It’s just very interesting how my kids NEVER received gifts like this by this waste man,” Mena wrote on Instagram in 2023. “My daughter just turned 3. All she got was a birthday cake and a few balloons in his living room. And please don’t get me started on how he didn’t do anything for my son’s 1st birthday until two weeks after the fact.” It’s obvious that Erica Mena holds resentment against Safaree for being a bad dad. It’s not a stretch to envision this experience, which was partially shared with Minaj, was the impetus for her supportive comments about being a mother.
When it comes to reality television, Puerto Rican beauty Erica Mena has become one of the most infamous stars to grace, or maybe disgrace, the tube. And for the past decade, she has subsequently gained just as many enemies/frenemies as she has loyal followers and fans. Unfortunately, many fights with her co-stars have caused chaos in her personal life.
Most recently, she rubbed Love & Hip Hop producers the wrong way after calling fellow cast member and dancehall queen Spice a “blue-haired monkey.” The fight between the two mothers cost Erica Mena her job and subsequently started an uprising of comments on whether her insult was racially based. And although it seems like her days on LHH are over, who’s to say that she couldn’t return to the show that’s known for returning old cast members for a surprise factor? But this beef is only the latest of many for Erica. Here are her seven biggest and most memorable beefs.
On the viral episode, mutual friend Shekinah attempts to mediate a conversation between Erica Mena and Spice. The two were already at odds because of Spice’s friendship with Erica’s ex-husband Safaree Samuels. He basically cried for Spice when she was near death in the hospital, but showed little emotion when Mena and their newborn were in the hospital. “Why did you feel the need to compare us,” Spice asks. “I was his wife and he felt nothing,” Mena responded. “That don’t have nothing to do with me,” Spice responded.
Things took a turn for the worse when Spice took the low road and mentioned Erica’s distant relationship with her eldest son from a previous relationship. “With your son that don’t like you. My son loves me.” The words cut Mena like a knife. She proceeded to flip the table and started a rant on how Spice should have died (when she was previously hospitalized back in Oct 2022.) “That b**ch should have died. You want to mention my kids,” she said and shouted, “You monkey, you f***ing blue monkey.”
Erica was soon fired. The franchise series released a statement that included, “….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 almost sounds like someone behind the scenes may have had it in for Erica Mena and used the fight to get rid of her. Especially considering that only days later, Spice called cast member Bambi a “giraffe” in another heated argument. She has yet to receive any retribution from the show.
SafareeSamuels
The Stepmother star constantly seems to fight with her ex-husband and children’s father Safaree Samuels, whom she divorced in May 2021. It all started with a whirlwind romance that led to a public proposal and an extravagant wedding. Rumors of infidelity would soon surface before Erica gave birth to their second child Legend.
Erica was always weary of Safaree’s relationship with Spice. Her suspicions only increased when he seemed extremely broken during Spice’s hospitalization. Samuels definitely seemed inconsiderate toward Erica’s feelings and downright messy. Not only did he reveal private things about his wife to Spice, he also recorded Erica talking ish about Spice. All this led her to believe that Safaree and Spice were intimate during their marriage. The two even mocked Erica after her exit from the show.
His blatant disrespect for his ex-wife also seemed to go a lot farther than Spice. Erica has called Safaree a “dead beat dad” many times, saying that he never sees their children. He also (reportedly) has not been paying the court ordered $4300 in monthly child support.
Erica Mena started dating music exec Rich Dollaz in season three of LHHNY. He was also her manager at the time. The drama started early when former G-Unit artist Olivia warned Erica that Rich was a playa. Erica was quick to tell Rich that she didn’t need him or his BS. And after walking out on him at an N.Y. hotspot, she soon realized that he did not have her best interest at heart; either romantically or career-wise. Not only did he give a song (that he had promised her) to Olivia, but Erica admitted that she never really felt safe with Rich. And he stuck with the reasoning that since she never actually signed a contract with him, he couldn’t truly be down for her 100%.
DJ Envy
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 20: DJ Envy visits SiriusXM Studio on April 20, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Long before LHHNY, Erica Mena dated DJ Envy for quite a while until one day she received a call from his wife, Gia Casey. In an interview with Carlos King, she claimed that she had no idea Envy was married. The two spent a lot of time together and Erica says that nothing seemed unordinary about their relationship. According to an interview, once The Breakfast Club’s host found out that his wife knew of his infidelity, he soon came clean and confessed on-air in Feb. 2013. And although he never mentioned Mena’s name directly, he did call her “a bird” and “a liar” that was “beneath him.”
Cyn Santana
Cyn Santana joined LHHNY in season four asErica Mena’s love interest. They seemed very happy, but the relationship was soon tested when Erica started back working with her ex Rich Dollaz to get her music career off the ground. Santana was offended by Dollaz’s disrespect.
At one point she accusedErica of being physically abusive to her. They had a hard breakup the following season. And shortly after, Cyn started to date Joe Budden. At some point, the two must have repaired their friendship because in 2019 she and Joe did attend the baby shower for Safaree and Erica’s daughter, Safire.
Another ferocious fight on LHHNY (season two) was between Erica Mena and co-star Kimbella Vanderhee, the now-wife of Dipset legend Juelz Santana. From their initial meeting, Erica’s problem with Kimbella seemed minimal, petty and almost as if she just needed a little something to ignite a feud for the show. But once Mena’s temper blasted off, the ladies soon needed to be separated by security. The incident shocked viewers and further solidified her reputation as a hot head. Although the two women have since moved on from their beef, their infamous hair-pulling fiasco remains one of the most talked-about moments in Love & Hip Hop history.
Erica Mena and founding Terror Squad member Raul Conde started dating in 2000. They separated in 2007 after Mena reportedly claimed that Conde was being abusive towards her. That year, Erica gave birth to their son King Javien Conde.
A fight between Raul Conde and Erica Mena was once featured in an episode of LHH. The toxic pattern eventually stopped when the two reportedly resolved their issues for their son. They seemed to be co-parenting cordially up until the Conde’s passing in Nov 2023 of a heart attack. He received a great send-off from Erica and friends like Fat Joe and DJ Khaled. “My son officially has a broken heart…” Erica Mena wrote on her Instagram story on Nov 23, along with a picture of Conde with King. “Life is so short. Please love your people.”
Raul Conde, a founder of Terror Squad and the father of Erica Mena’s first child, has passed away following a long battle with illness. Following the news of his untimely loss, Mena, DJ Khaled, and Fat Joe were among those who paid their respects and tribute to him. While her family grew since then, she still expressed heartbreak for not just herself, but for their 14-year-old son King. As of writing this article, it seems like not much else is known about the circumstances behind Conde’s death. Our prayers, condolences, and best wishes go out to all those who were touched by his life and presence.
“My Son officially has a broken heart…” Erica Mena wrote on her Instagram Story on Thursday (November 23) along with a picture of Conde with King. “Life is so short. Please love your people.” “Love you my brother @raul.ts,” DJ Khaled expressed in an IG post of a picture of them together. “You are very rare you the definition of a true brother friend. U always wanted to see everyone win. RAUL I LOVE YOU BROTHER! GOD BLESS. WE GOING MISS U, @raul.ts the legendary RAUL! Love for ever!”
“My Day 1,” Fat Joe chimed in on the social media platform with a picture with Raul and Usher, joining Erica Mena in her grief. “How can a man love another man more than your own biological family. You are 1 of 1 the most loyal EVER. We did it since kids we did everything we dreamed of I love you with every fiber in my body. I thought we’d get old together and look back at the times we had and laugh. No one understood me like you, you we God sent my brother I wish I could get one last talk with you.
“My Condolences to the CONDE FAMILY ty for letting us have RAUL for all these years,” he concluded. “I can tell you not a moment in my life I won’t love and cherish every minute every second I’ve had with RAUL. I want everyone to with my brother a safe passage to Heaven cause he loved GOD SO MUCH. WE ARE TERROR SQUAD 4 Life I love you RAUL TILL WE MEET AGAIN.” For more news and the latest updates on Erica Mena, DJ Khaled, and Fat Joe, come back to HNHH. Rest In Peace Raul Conde.
Since the conflict between Israel and Palestine broke out last month many celebrities have taken to social media with their thoughts. For some artists, like Justin Bieber, that’s blown up in their face in embarrassing ways. Others have found their statements generating controversy for defending either side of the conflict. Earlier today, Selena Gomez announced that her Rare Beauty company will be donating to Palestinian aid organizations.
Now, Erica Mena is weighing in on not just the conflict but the status of America as a whole. “Moving out of the US is absolutely the plan for my kids and I. I promise this. And you know I always keep my promises,” she said in a tweet overnight. That wasn’t all she had to say either as she explained her motivations further in a follow-up tweet. “Using out money to kill babies and children! This country can’t provide free healthcare but the country they are funding to kill babies can. Disgusting!!!” Mena said. Check out her full statement below.
In the comments, fans largely take Erica’s side. “They got money for war, but can’t feed the poor,” the top comment on the post reads. It’s a quote from Tupac that many have found continues to ring surprisingly true even decades after his death. Others in the comments agree. “Not wrong. America will never be a proper country, it was built on a foundation of savagery and lies,” another top response reads. This isn’t the first time Mena has spoken on the conflict. Last month she described it as “literally a genocide.”
She also recently spoke recently on her controversial firing from Love & Hip Hop. She discussed her now infamous fight with Spice and the resulting fallout in the weeks that followed. What do you think of Erica Mena’s thoughts on the US and her desire to move her family out of it? Let us know in the comment section below.
Erica Mena treated her fans to a glance at her gym progress. In an Instagram post, Mena flexed and flaunted in yoga pants that looked painted on and a colorful sports bra. While Mena looked absolutely fire, fans weren’t really buying the thirst trap.
“No matter how cute or sexy anyone is, if their heart isn’t pure, looks won’t matter!!” one person wrote. “It’s not giving what she thinks,” added another. Furthermore, people roasted her for her enhanced proportions. “Stop glorifying this, BBL is one of the most dangerous operations, not worth the life of a mother, sister, daughter… queens, our beauty is God given ,” one person preached. “Idc who you are, if you got plastic surgery, do not posts pics in the gym,” added another.
Meanwhile, Mena has been speaking out on a number of issues in a recent spate of interviews. Of particular note, Mena reflected on the hypocrisy on her firing from Love & Hip Hop. “When it happened, I knew I f-cked up that day. But then I was filming for months and months. I knew it was coming, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this bad. What’s not okay is [that] if this is as bad as the network says it is, why wasn’t I let go of a long time ago?” Mena told Carlos King in their recent interview.
Furthermore, in a separate interview, Mena spoke on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. She seemingly came down on the side of Palestine, making a fiery statement about the conflict. “I love y’all, I appreciate y’all. I just want to clarify that because I really don’t want anyone to feel any type of way towards me. I just really cannot be quiet knowing this is going on. This is literally a genocide in 2023. And us as Americans, we should do our part. We live in a free country, let’s be free to do what’s right for humanity, not religion, not land, not government, not politics, humanity,” Mena said in a recent Instagram Live.
(@ericamena)
,” one person preached. “Idc who you are, if you got plastic surgery, do not posts pics in the gym,” added another.