Erica Mena’s Love Life: The Love, Scandals, and Divorce Drama

The Breakdown: Model, singer, actor, and reality TV meme queen Erica Mena marches to the beat of her drum unapologetically.

Erica began her time in the entertainment industry as a music video actor in the early 2000s. However, her reign on Love & Hip Hop stamped her place in the pop culture zeitgeist.

During her run on Love & Hip Hop, Erica navigated dreams of a music career and her quest to find the one for her. And, like most good things, her journey to love has taken time.

Let’s travel down memory lane as we look at Erica’s exes!

Erica’s first notable relationship was with video producer and Terror Squad founder Raul Condo. Raul is the father of her first child, her son King Javien Conde. Sadly, Erica’s ex died of a heart attack in November 2023 at age 52.

Although they had a tumultuous relationship when he was alive, they resolved their issues before he died. Upon his death, Erica expressed her grief for her and her son’s loss shortly after Raul’s death.

"My Son officially has a broken heart,” she wrote on Instagram. “LIFE IS SO SHORT. PLEASE LOVE YOUR PEOPLE.”

While raising her son, King, as a single mother, Erica connected with DJ Envy, whose real name is Raashaun Casey. The pair dated in the early 2010s before she was selected to join Love & Hip-Hop. Erica claimed he swiftly ended communication when his wife, Gia Casey, caught wind of the affair. Envy later admitted to the affair on The Breakfast Club and placed the blame on Erica, calling her a “bird” on air.

Erica began dating talent manager Rich Dollaz during her first Love & Hip-Hop: New York season. They initially had a professional working relationship when Rich became her manager. However, things quickly got personal on the show, as they embarked on an on-and-off dynamic for several years. While the drama between them was eventually too much for any of them to handle, it gave LHH fans many memorable moments, including one of the show’s most classic lines: “You can’t trust nobody, not even the (bleep) you’re sleeping with.”

After healing her relationship with Rich, Erica, who is openly bisexual, moved on to model and actor Cyn Santana. The relationship turned quite a few heads and was one of Love & Hip Hop’s earlier representations of LGBTQ+ love. Cyn and Erica broke up in 2014 but have remained friends.

Erica and Bow Wow’s short-lived romance began while she was ironically still involved with Cyn. The longtime friends kissed on Bow Wow’s 106 & Park gig in 2014. The smooch upset both former partners, and Erica said the anger made her realize Bow Wow’s feelings for her. Once they both became single, they started dating and became engaged shortly after.

While Erica and Bow Wow expressed their desire to tie the knot, it never came to fruition. The pair split in 2015 and weren’t able to renew their friendship.

After being candid about her bouts at love over the years, Erica seemed well on her way to finding her happily ever after with Safaree Samuels. Safaree and Erica connected while on VH1’s Scared Famous. They married on Love & Hip Hop in 2019 and welcomed their daughter, Safire Majesty Samuels, in February 2020.

Erica filed for divorce after less than two years of marriage. During their split, she announced she was expecting their second child, a son named Legend. The couple’s divorce turned nasty, with multiple custody battles, abuse and infidelity allegations, and Erica claiming Safaree is a “deadbeat” to their children. Safaree also posted a video on Instagram of his ex-wife allegedly physically abusing him in front of their children. Erica and her ex’s issues continue to play out online.