Three reality stars from the Love & Hip Hop franchise were arrested Friday night after a brawl with security guards at a lounge in Atlanta, EW has confirmed.
Erica Mena and Addie “Bambi” Richardson of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood cast member Rodney Shaw (a.k.a. Zellswag) were at Lucca Lounge in Buckhead on Aug. 25 when Atlanta police responded to a call regarding a dispute on the property, Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News reports.
Upon their arrival at 11:40 p.m. local time, officers observed the patrons in a physical altercation with the business’ security guards. Police say the responding officer tried to de-escalate the situation by talking to the people involved but that they then became physically aggressive towards the officer.
Police say security had asked the “unruly patrons” to leave the lounge several times, but they refused and a physical altercation ensued. Officials have not said what initially caused the fight or if anyone else was involved.
Police escorted the group — which also included Kareem Cadet, who is unaffiliated with the Love & Hip Hop franchise — from the business and placed them under arrest. They were held at the Fulton County Jail, and all four were charged with willful obstruction of law enforcement, per the jail’s records. Officials also charged Mena and Shaw with simple battery, and Mena with simple battery against a police officer. A video of the incident that TMZ has shared shows police and security guards forcibly removing them from the lounge.
Shaw’s partner, Love & Hip Hop: Miami star and rapper Saucy Santana, later addressed the situation in an Instagram video, claiming that he was at the lounge but left once the fighting began. He said Shaw was not fighting with Mena and Richardson, but rather attempting to defend them.
“He had got into it with the security or the authorities,” Santana said. “He was with his homegirls. I was out with him and his friends… Erica was very belligerent. I don’t know, maybe she probably got too drunk, or whatever the case is. She was real wild last night.”
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He continued, “She got into it with the security guards. It was like three or four big security on top of her. So, Zell was just being a man, and them his girls. He was just trying to de-escalate the situation. The people ended up tussling with Zell, and that’s how he ended up going to jail. I got the f— out of dodge because I don’t play that! Zell knows I don’t play that.”
Santana ended the video by panning to the balcony, where he said Shaw was sitting. “I went and got my n—- out of jail,” he said. “Zell ain’t allowed to have no mo’ friends. Period!”