The Love & Hip Hop reality series franchise issued a statement on Saturday that Erica Mena would not be part of the upcoming season of the Atlanta spin-off after she referred to co-star Spice as a “monkey” during a recent altercation while filming.

In a video capturing the heated exchange, Mena and Spice engaged in a confrontational conversation, during which the Jamaican dancehall artiste informed Mena that her son did not like her.

The situation escalated, with Mena flipping a table and confronting Spice. On-set personnel intervened to separate the two women, eventually escorting Mena out of the building.

The argument continued outside, where Mena referred to Spice as a “blue monkey” and made a disturbing comment about the artiste’s near-death experience.

In November last year, Spice revealed she had developed sepsis after suffering a damaged hernia.

READ: ‘Thank you Jesus for saving my life’: Spice clears the air on health scare

“The Love & Hip Hop franchise has never shied away from hard conversations in our community. 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 statement read.

According to the Daily Mail, many viewers on social media called for Erica Mena’s removal from the reality series, stating that her comments were not “just an instance of racism, but also colourism, as Erica is a lighter-skinned Afro-Latina, while Spice is darker skinned black Jamaican woman”.