Spice has opened up about the confrontation that got Erica Mena fired from Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta for calling the Jamaican Dancehall artist a “monkey.”
In a recent episode, the reality TV stars got into it during a verbal spat. Erica Mena flipped a table after Spice claimed that her son does not like his own mother.
“You monkey, you f###### blue monkey!” Mena fired back at the blue-haired musician.
After clips of the on-air altercation surfaced, many called out Erica Mena for using a term rooted in racism, and she was soon fired.
“The Love & Hip Hop franchise has never shied away from hard conversations in our community,” the franchise announced earlier this week.
The statement continued: “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.”
Spice Says Backlash Over Erica Mena Rooted in Colorism
However, Spice also received backlash over the spat for mentioning Erica Mena’s child. She addressed the criticism during an Instagram Live Tuesday evening. During the stream, she questioned whether racism was an acceptable response to being triggered.
“I’m not being ignorant; I’m not playing victim,” Spice began. “I am taking full accountability because you said I experienced the racism because I triggered her. So, is that a new thing now in 2023? It’s okay to receive racism as long as you’re angry? I’m just asking. Feel free to let me know.”
She also pointed to her 2018 single “Black Hypocrisy,” created to draw attention to the issue of colorism within the Black community. She promoted the single by posting images of herself with considerably lighter skin.
Spice claimed she would not have garnered the backlash over the Erica Mena situation if she were lighter-skinned. She shared an image of her with an ivory tone to highlight her point.
“If I looked like this then some of the Black people who are commenting that it’s okay would not be saying what they’re saying,” Spice continued. “You can play hypocrite if you want.” Check out the IG Live below.
