Most fans of the reality genre have grown to expect some negativity and perhaps even some drama during reunion shows, but even with that elevated benchmark, what happened among the Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta cast this week was very extreme. A full scale brawl, reportedly involving multiple cast members, broke out during a taping last night, and the situation got so bad, producers reportedly had to send everyone home.
Details on the fiasco are still really fuzzy at this point, but TMZ has some sources within the production who gave a rough sketch. Apparently, the bad blood began earlier this week when Stevie J posted an obscene picture on his Twitter account of Benzino’s fiancée Althea performing a sex act. During the taping, Benzino allegedly made a crack about Stevie J and Joseline doing drugs and then it was on.
Multiple fights reportedly broke out on the stage within seconds. When two people were separated, two different ones supposedly started going at it. By the end, Benzino, Althea, Joseline, Stevie J, Tammy, Mimi and Debra were all reportedly involved and producers were forced to call 911. You can check out a few seconds of the chaos below…
That doesn’t look like a staged reality brawl. It looks like a full-on fight involving temperamental people who really don’t like one another. That theory is backed up by at least three people receiving treatment from the paramedics and the behavior of the producers too. When filming picks back up today, the cast members will reportedly be placed in different rooms. The studio audience has also been nixed, all of which will make the final TV product less exciting. If that’s what needs to be done to keep everyone safe though then that’s what needs to be done. No reunion show is worth someone taking a trip to the hospital.
Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta follows the lives of several rappers, record producers and their significant others, as they try to push forward with their careers and their levels of fame. There’s always a fair amount of drama involved, but I’m not sure anyone involved with the show expected cops to show up and members of the studio audience to be escorted out for their safety. That’s some next level reality show nonsense.
You can catch the special episode when it airs on VH1 down the road.
