# Erica Mena

Erica Jasmin Mena (born November 8, 1987) is an American actress, model, singer and video vixen. She is best known for her appearances in the Love & Hip Hop franchise from 2011 to 2023, particularly in the New York and Atlanta installments.

## Career

Mena first gained notoriety as a model and "video vixen", through her appearances in various hip hop music videos, for artists such as Chris Brown, Fabolous, Akon and Fat Joe. She became known to a larger audience through her reality television appearances, including Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami and Love & Hip Hop: New York, the original installment of the Love & Hip Hop franchise.
She has released two autobiographies, Chronicles of a Confirmed Bachelorette and Underneath It All. In August 2017, it was announced that Mena would compete in the first season of VH1's Scared Famous, which premiered in October 2017. In 2018, Erica joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta for the seventh season. In 2019, she returned to Love & Hip Hop: New York for its tenth anniversary season.
Mena was fired from Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta in September 2023, after calling fellow cast member Spice a "blue monkey".

## Personal life

Mena is openly bisexual. Mena is of Dominican and Puerto Rican ancestry. She graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, NY. She has a son, King Javien Conde (b. March 1, 2007) with video director and rapper Raul Conde, a member of Fat Joe's Terror Squad. Conde died on November 22, 2023.
Mena was previously engaged to Bow Wow. In December 2018, Mena became engaged to rapper and television personality Safaree Samuels. On October 7, 2019, she and Samuels married at the White Castle in New Jersey. Their daughter was born in 2020. On May 4, 2021, she announced that she and Samuels were expecting their second child together. On May 25, 2021, TMZ reported that Mena officially filed for divorce from Samuels. Their son was born in 2021.

## Controversies

In October 2018, Mena and boyfriend Clifford Dixon were arrested at Mena's Johns Creek, Georgia residence for a domestic dispute, with Dixon charged with criminal trespass and Mena charged with marijuana possession. The police were called when roommates were disturbed by the commotion upstairs when Dixon kicked down a bedroom door that Mena had locked to barricade herself. Both were released when posting bail.
In 2023, Mena was fired from Love & Hip Hop for using a racial slur. She later issued an apology.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2017 | Almost Amazing | Cara |
| 2019 | I Got the Hook-Up 2 | Miss Peaches |
| 2019 | Swag Inc. | Natasha |
| 2022 | The Millennial | Lola Etienne |
| 2022 | The Stepmother | Zoey |
| 2022 | The Stepmother 2 | Zoey |
| 2023 | The Assistant | Dr. Raven Fields |
| 2023 | You're Not Alone | Beverly |
| 2023 | The Stepmother 3 | Zoey |
| 2023 | Picture Me Dead | Kristen |

### Television

| Year | Legacy | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | VH1 News Presents | Herself | Episode: "Hip Hop Videos: Sexploitation on the Set" |
| 2009 | Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami | Herself/Dash Employee | Recurring cast (season 1) |
| 2011-20 | Love & Hip Hop: New York | Herself | Supporting cast (season 2); main cast (seasons 3-5, 10) |
| 2013 | The Show with Vinny | Herself | Episode: "Erica Mena & Austin Mahone" |
| 2015 | CSI: Cyber | Brody's Girl | Episode: "CMND:/Crash" |
| 2016 | Bad Girls Club 16: Social Disruption | Herself | Reunion Co-host |
| 2017 | Bad Girls Club 17: East Meets West | Herself | Reunion Co-host |
| 2017 | Scared Famous | Herself | Contestant |
| 2017 | Master of None | Nikki | Episode: "Thanksgiving" |
| 2018 | Hustle in Brooklyn | Herself | Recurring cast |
| 2018-19 | Hip Hop Squares | Herself | Recurring guest |
| 2018-23 | Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta | Herself | Main cast (seasons 7, 10-11); supporting cast (season 9) |
| 2021 | Sacrifice | Bella | Episode: "Mama Didn't Lie" |
| 2022 | Hush | Gina | Main cast (season 1) |
| 2024 | Joseline’s Cabaret | Herself | Guest |
| 2025 | Two Ways With Erica Mena | Herself | Own show |

### Music Videos

| 2004 | "Lean Back" | Terror Squad |
| 2004 | "Ain't Nothing Wrong" | Houston (singer) |
| 2005 | "Candy Shop" | 50 Cent featuring Olivia |
| 2005 | "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" | Chris Brown |
| 2005 | "Tell Me" | Bobby Valentino |