Former Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star Erica Mena was reportedly not invited to participate in a roundtable special about the events that led to her recent firing, her representative told RadarOnline.
“It is very disappointing Erica was not included in the discussion about the incident that occurred while filming the show and that the network chose to silence her voice,” Mena’s rep, Steve Honig, said.
The Love & Hip Hop star was fired from the franchise on Sept. 2 after an episode showed her calling her cast mate, Spice, a “monkey” during an intense confrontation. She faced immediate backlash on social media for the racially insensitive comment, leading to her swift firing from the franchise.
But the incident was discussed in depth in a roundtable special titled “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta: Racism, Colorism, and the Uncomfortable Truth” that aired on Sept. 26 after the show’s season finale.
The roundtable discussion gave Spice and a panel of longtime Love & Hip Hop stars to discuss “the recent events that aired on the show before MTV decided to stop filming with Erica Mena,” according to the franchise’s announcement on social media. They were also joined by colorism expert Dr. Sarah L. Webb.
Honig claims Mena should have also been invited as she would have participated in the discussion in good faith. “She would have welcomed an opportunity to discuss what happened in a way that was productive and made this roundtable truly a valuable moment of learning for all,” Honig claimed.
He also noted that MTV continued working with Mena “for more than seven months after the actual incident occurred, despite claims that filming with her was stopped after it happened.”
When her firing was announced, the franchise clarified that Mena would continue appearing in the final episodes of the season but would not return for the next season.
She has since apologized for her comments, though she maintains it was not a “racially driven” attack.
“I am committed to listening to the voices of those affected and will work toward making amends,” her statement said. “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.”
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta aired its season finale this past Tuesday.
If you want to catch up on the drama, click here to see how to stream all of the new episodes.