Spice & Erica Mena Incident Sparks Dialogue On Race And Colorism

Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta cast members gathered for a roundtable discussion with Dr. Sarah L. Webb, focusing on the recent Spice and Erica Mena incident, highlighting the challenges of racism and colorism. Following the interview, Mena’s response ignited further conversation and debate on these important topics.

On Tuesday, September 26th, Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta cast members, including Spice, Sierra Gates, Young Joc, Lil Scrappy, Yandy Smith, and Amy Luciani, gathered for a candid discussion with Dr. Sarah L. Webb.

In the “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta: Racism, Colorism, and the Uncomfortable Truth” roundtable, the cast delved into topics such as the blurred lines of derogatory terms, cultural appropriation, societal beauty standards, the contrast between racism and ethnicity, the dehumanization of individuals, the advantages and disadvantages of skin tone, racial slurs, and the issue of black fetishizing. 

The discussion aimed to provide inclusivity for those who are quick to exclude those who look like them. During the conversation, a key moment occurred when Sierra Gates shared her experience of being disrespected at a bank, highlighting the lack of respect she receives compared to individuals of other races. 

Sierra stated:

“ I walk into the bank, and I’m not respected at all until they log into my account. But I see another race next to me, and they’re greeted, “how are you doing?” I dont get that respect.”

Dr. Webb then posed the question:  

“So you all would say that even when Black people advance economically, we don’t escape racism?” 

In which the cast responded, “No.” The discussion then shifted to the incident involving Spice and Erica Mena. Dr. Webb played back the footage, which captured Mena hurling racial slurs at Spice, causing the cast to groan with disbelief and disgust as they heard Mena yelling out:

“You should’ve died b****. You monkey! You fu***ng blue monkey!” 

As they watched the clip, it became evident that the impact of Mena’s words still resonated with Spice. Yandy Smith expressed her outrage:

“It makes my blood boil… the audacity to be so immersed in our culture, love our men, want black children, proud of it. But can sit there and call a Black person, not just a Black woman, a monkey…”

Another pivotal moment in the conversation occurred when Lil Scrappy recounted the horrific history of Black people being treated as zoo animals and dehumanized, drawing parallels to the term “monkey” used by Erica Mena. 

Initially giving Mena the benefit of the doubt, Yandy questioned whether Mena’s actions stemmed from ignorance or racism. She believed Mena lacked awareness of the term’s historical violence against the Black community.

In response to the roundtable discussion, Erica Mena took to Instagram to defend herself. Mena claimed that the network used her story as a base for an entire show season and manipulated footage to create a narrative:

“ I think it’s absolutely fair that I speak under this post. Especially because I was indeed filming nonstop for seven months after the actual incident between me and that other individual happened. The network chose to still film with me nonstop which is why I was used as the base storyline for the whole second half of this actual season.”  

She also criticized the network for failing to include her in the roundtable discussion and accused them of prioritizing sponsors over genuine efforts to address racial issues:

“If I’m being used to set an example why was I not apart of this “round table “ discussion? Why are they so desperate to film nonstop right now to make up for everything I shot that they can’t use now.”

Her response has sparked various reactions, with some questioning her sincerity and others showing support.

One Twitter(X) user stated, “ I’m not buying the bs Erica Mena is saying, it’s been plenty of times she’s called black people monkeys. And the monkey noises she made speaks a lot #LHHATL.” Another user commented, “Like I said before I will NEVER understand how y’all sat up there and defended #EricaMena and if #Bambi keeps up she can go too! #SPICE.”

Overall, this discussion on Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta has ignited conversations surrounding racism, colorism, and the consequences of racial slurs. It raises the question of whether VH1 would have taken action against Erica Mena if the clip had not gone viral.

Updated By: Kynedei Iman Hobbs (9/27/23 at 7:14 pm)

Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta is addressing some uncomfortable truths head-on. The reality TV franchise recently announced an exclusive episode called “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta: Racism, Colorism, and the Uncomfortable Truth.” The roundtable discussion will delve into the recent events that led to the show’s decision to stop filming with Erica Mena. 

The Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta franchise has announced they will address some uncomfortable truths in an exclusive episode called “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta: Racism, Colorism, and the Uncomfortable Truth.” This move follows Mena’s controversial and racially insensitive comments towards her co-star, Spice, where Mena called her a “blue monkey.” 

The franchise took to their social media to share the news writing:

 “On TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 at 9p immediately following the season finale of #LHHATL, the conversation continues with Love & Hip Hop Atlanta: Racism, Colorism, and the Uncomfortable Truth. This roundtable discusses the recent events that aired on the show before MTV decided to stop filming with Erica Mena. International colorism expert Dr. Sarah L. Webb, founder and owner of Colorism Healing, a leader in raising awareness, shifting attitudes, and taking action, leads an open dialogue that features Spice, Yandy, Joc, Scrappy, Sierra, Amy, and a special appearance from Rasheeda sharing their experiences. Watch the special and find resources on fighting racism and colorism at http://MTV.com/colorofchange. Love & Hip Hop Atlanta: Racism, Colorism, and the Uncomfortable Truth will also be available on http://MTV.com, YouTube, Facebook, the MTV App and across MTV VOD and DTO.”

Furthermore, fans quickly noticed that Erica Mena– the root cause of the discussion– would not be present on the panel.

One fan expressed their frustration by stating, “LOL! This is very performative. They should have put Mena in the hot seat because LHH have gotten away with so much, and now that they’ve received backlash, it’s this? They allowed Mena to film months after too.” 

Another user questioned the authenticity of the panel, saying,  “How do you pose a discussion that educates people on colorism and racism and 1. not even have Erica present who clearly can benefit the most from it and 2. not showcase colorism amongst the panelists. the sh*t ya’ll do for money. nobody is watching that.”

The episode will be available on Tuesday, September 26, at 9 PM, where it will be aired on MTV.com, YouTube, Facebook, the MTV app, and more.

Updated By: Yasmine Duhé (9/26/23 at 3:38 pm)

After being fired from the set of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Erica Mena has issued an apology for the racial slur she directed at her co-star, Spice. The reality star expressed her remorse for her offensive comment, referring to the Dancehall legend as a “blue monkey.”

On Tuesday, September 12, Erica Mena took to her Twitter (X) account and apologized for the racial slur she spewed towards her co-star and dancehall artist, Spice. Mena stated:

“I deeply regret my insensitive comment and want to humbly apologize to anybody I hurt or offended by thoughtlessness. My choice of words was wrong, and I take full responsibility for what I said.” She further added, “I am committed to listening to the voices of those affected and will work toward making amends. 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.” Mena concluded her statement expressing,  “That said, I do understand the gravity of what I said and want to use my platform to promote inclusivity and equality.”

However, Mena’s apology has been met with skepticism from social media users. Many question the genuineness of her apology, especially considering her previous use of the racial slur.

One user took to social media and criticized Mena, stating, “Erica Mena could’ve kept that apology if she wasn’t going to acknowledge her wrongdoings because it was very much a racial slur and she’s said it more than once.” 

Another user expressed their dissatisfaction with the apology, using strong language to convey their disbelief, “Get this CHATGPT a** apology outta here Erica. You diminishing this as ‘insensitive’ and claiming that it was not ‘racially motivated’ is bullsh*t, much like your music career. FOH.”

Updated By: Yasmine Duhé (9/12/23 at 5:42 pm)

Erica Mena has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Following a controversial incident involving the reality star and her co-star Spice, reports now indicate that she has been fired from her role on Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta. 

After recently facing immense backlash for spewing a racial slur toward her co-star, Spice, Erica Mena has been fired from the set of Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta. On Saturday, September 2, Love & Hip Hop made an official statement on their Instagram account, addressing the issue. They stated: 

“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.” 

Mona Scott-Young, the producer of Love & Hip Hop, also weighed in on the situation indirectly. She posted on social media, “Handled,” before promptly deleting the post. 

Fans of the show had mixed reactions to the news. 

One fan commented, “Also ya’ll fired Erica Mena but Evelyn Lozada is still appearing on the next season of Basketball Wives after doing the same thing to OG. The selective outrage is annoying af.” Another user wrote:

“I am so glad Erica Mena was fired. Well overdo in my opinion. There should be a permanent ban on her. Actors were fired from Grey’s Anatomy due to slurs as in the past. Let’s elevate the network’s decision and protect it. Racial discrimination is prohibited and should never be tolerated. Colorism is a problem in our community. I know it’s hard for ya’ll to see consequences for your mouth but this isn’t 2013 anymore.”

However, there were those who came to Mena’s defense, including rapper and reality star Lil Scrappy. Taking to Instagram Live he stated: 

“I think that’s pretty bozo of them to fire somebody after they set sh*t up. They set you up and put you.. they get you all hyped up.” He additionally stated: “I don’t “f*ck with Erica” and thought it was a bad move for the show. ”

He later backtracked on his comments, exclaiming:

“I just seen the clip and that sh*t’s f*cked up. You know, I don’t ever want to wish someone to be fired or put in jail or dead,” He then added on saying that Erica was “wrong,” saying that “Colorism is real. We do know that. Racism is real. Hate is real.”

Updated By: Yasmine Duhé (9/5/23 at 6:47 pm)

Erica Mena is under fire for using a racial slur against co-reality star Spice, during a recent episode of Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. The heated exchange between Mena and Spice occurred during a sit-down arranged by their co-star, Shekinah. 

Erica Mena is currently facing backlash after a recent episode of MTV’s Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. During the episode, aired on August 29, the reality star spewed a racial slur at Grammy-nominated artist, Spice.

The initial discussion centered around Mena’s ex-husband Safaree Samuels, and his emotional response to Spice’s health scare versus his lack of emotion during their divorce. In response, Mena said: 

“Your friends and he felt that way; I was his wife and he felt nothing.” Mena explained. 

Spice then responded by saying:

“You feel like you’re the first woman to be divorced, and you’re the first woman to be left with two children to fend for. I’ve been doing this for 14 years, welcome to the club.”  

Erica then countered, “I’ve been doing it for 16.” 

Continuing the exchange, Spice responded to Erica by pointing out that Mena’s firstborn doesn’t like her, while her own son loves her. As the argument escalated, Mena flipped the table in frustration. She then exclaimed, “That b*tch should have died!” referring to Spice’s hospitalization. 

Spice retaliated by repeatedly stating that Mena’s son dislikes her. Following this, Mena directed a racial slur at Spice, saying: 

“You monkey, you f*ckin blue monkey.”

Soon after, the Stepmother star then proceeded to get in the car, mimicking monkey noises. 

Erica Mena is currently being dragged all over social media after the latest episode of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. During a heated argument with Spice, Mena called Spice a “monkey”.

Erica Mena has a history of being accused of making racist remarks. More on https://t.co/9hogQIxcV6 pic.twitter.com/eQu1sXpjfc

— SOHH.com (@sohhdotcom) August 30, 2023

The recent incident has sparked outrage on social media, with many calling Mena out for her racist behavior. 

One user wrote “Erica Mena is a white latino racist cosplaying as black woman. To call THEE Spice BLACK & MONKEY then a BLUE to say she should have died? YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING THAT COMES TO YOU!! EVERYTHING SINGLE THING!!”

Another user wrote,  “These non-black women want to occupy BLACK spaces, have children with BLACK men then go around calling BLACK WOMEN monkeys whilst making monkey noises. Erica is trash! This isn’t just colorism, it is racism”

This isn’t the first time Mena has spewed racial remarks. It has been multiple claims of Mena being racist towards Black people over the years:

Erica Mena Blasts Tony Rock & Dehumanizes Jhonni Blaze 

In 2014, she called actor Tony Rock a “monkey” after he insulted her. Mena also referred to reality TV star Jhonni Blaze as a monkey in the same year saying ‘Still Monkey Mad.” In response, Blaze wrote on Twitter saying:

“You met your match besides calling me a monkey or delusional stripper that twerks.”

Trouble In Cleveland

In 2015, an incident came to light involving Mena where she was accused of making racist remarks directed at promoters in Cleveland. According to reports, Mena was allegedly overheard by witnesses using derogatory language, stating:

“I don’t like working with these black monkeys. I don’t usually do business with these black monkeys.” 

Erica Continues To Be Racially Degrading 

Following this, it was reported that Erica, upon arriving at the hotel, proceeded to directly address the staff with racial slurs, referring to them as “black, broke, monkeys” and using explicit language. 

Additionally, in 2019, she made derogatory comments about others’ children, calling them “nappy-headed.”

The controversy surrounding Mena’s racist remarks highlights a larger issue within the entertainment industry. Many individuals in the limelight have been exposed for their problematic behaviors, including rapper Kanye West, who faced accusations of anti-Semitic mistreatment towards tech entrepreneur Alex Klein.

Originally Written By: Yasmine Duhé