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See ‘Love and Hip Hop Atlanta’ Star Erica Mena’s Net Worth After VH1 Firing: How She Makes Money
The Love and Hip Hop franchise has seen Erica Mena on multiple spinoffs, but the long time reality TV star has more than that on her resume. From her early beginning, gaining notoriety in a Jennifer Lopez look-alike contest at only 16 years old, Erica has accumulated a high net worth.
What Is Erica Mena’s Net Worth?
Erica has an estimated net worth of $1 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
How Does Erica Mena Make Money?
Apart from her appearances in the reality TV sphere, the New York native has been featured in music videos for major celebrities like Chris Brown, Akon and 50 Cent. She also reportedly makes $4.49 million a month on the adult content platform OnlyFans, according to Charlotte, North Carolina, radio station Power 98 FM.
How Much Does Erica Mena Make Per Episode?
Erica makes $15,000 per episode of Love & Hip Hop, according to multiple reports.
Following her season 7 return to the franchise, fans believed the VH1 alum returned solely for a paycheck after an old tweet from 2017 she wrote resurfaced.
“So many reasons why I would never go back to LHH,” she tweeted in March 2017. “Those who do go back, clearly need the money … Remember I tweeted this.”
Why Did Erica Mena Get Fired From ‘Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta’?
Erica was fired from the VH1 franchise in September after an incident on-screen with co-star and singer, Spice. During the August 29 episode of the series, the controversial video vixen flipped a table and called the Dancehall artist a “blue monkey” after Spice claimed that Erica’s son King “hated” his own mother.
Erica — who shares son King with ex Raul Conde and two children with ex-husband Safaree Samuels — comes from Puerto Rican and Dominican descent and rubbed fans the wrong way after she used the racial slur against a Black woman.
The use of the word “monkey” as a racial slur has a long-rooted history, stemming more than 100 years and has been condemned by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Following the airing of the episode, the scene drew major backlash from fans, calling for the network to take action against the mom of two.
“Erica Mena hurling racial slurs at a black woman in front of cameras she’s fully aware are rolling with the intent to air the footage to a predominantly black audience is the perfect example of exercising privilege because you know there won’t be consequences,” one user tweeted. Meanwhile, another added, “Erica Mena isn’t Black. Colorism is exercised within the same ethnic group/race. Calling Spice a ‘monkey’ is pure, cut & dry textbook RACISM.”
Days later, the network released a statement confirming Erica’s firing from the franchise. “The Love & Hip Hop franchise has never shied away from hard conversations in our community,” the series shared via its official Instagram page on September 2. “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.”
The reality TV star has come under fire in the past for her comments. She allegedly called her Love & Hip Hop: New York costar Jhonni Blaze a “monkey” and was accused of calling a group of promoters “Black monkeys” in 2015.
Erica Mena Shared an Apology After She Was Fired
On September 12, Erica issued an apology for her comment in a public statement.
“I deeply regret my insensitive comment and want to humbly apologize to anybody I hurt or offended by my thoughtlessness,” she said. “My choice of words was wrong, and I take full responsibility for what I said. 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. That said, I do understand the gravity of what I said and want to use my platform to promote inclusivity and equality.”
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