As the new season of Basketball Wives LA continues the colorism discussion, former cast members of the show are coming together to support current castmember Ogom” OG” Chijindu after Sunday’s episode.
According to Madame Noire, OG chopped it up with fellow castmate Kristen Scott about the toll colorism has taken on her. Since the show’s latest season dropped, the discussion around colorism appears to paint OG as overly-defensive and problematic, and the third episode, which aired on Sunday, was no different.
OG, Kristen, and original cast members Jackie Christie and Jennifer Williams joined together to discuss the ongoing issue. Once the show aired, OG took to her Instagram to share the unedited footage of the almost hour-long conversation.
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Although she was over the colorism conversation, she was gracious toward Kristen. Jackie stood up for OG when Kristen pressed the issue about wanting the former female football star to give specific instances of colorism. As OG reluctantly pointed out times when Kristen and others were problematic, she became defensive and even catty. OG kept her cool, though. While the conversation didn’t shed any new light on the colorism issue, OG’s unedited audio was the receipt needed to dispel any further discussion of her being combative and aggressive.
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“Listen very carefully. After waiting over 2 hrs for this girl to come force an ignorant conversation. I was extremely nice, patient and accommodating. Why this was not shown, I do not know,” she wrote.
“I do not care what these people think about me,” she continued. “Yes I experienced colorism” and “Yes I experienced racism.”
“I initially expressed my concerns privately to see if these issues could be resolved,” she said. “After publicly being defamed, segregated and called a monkey, I shared my experience.”
She concluded that this was not “my storyline” and that she wasn’t the one who continuously mentioned the issue.
“This is simply what REALLY happened to me..followed by pathetic attempts to do DAMAGE CONTROL,” OG expressed.
Former castmates Tami Roman, CeCe Gutierrez and Royce Reed applauded OG and called out the show’s biases toward them.
Basketball Wives LA fan favorite, Tami Roman, had plenty to say about the show’s passive-aggressive spin on individual cast members.
“OG, no one can tell you how to feel & you have a right to express your truth!” she wrote. “Toxic ppl love saying everyone else is toxic to avoid accountability. Stay strong, friend. The viewers will eventually see & know… it’s not you.”
“I just now watched only this episode, and I am not surprised. I miss you, I love you, and I am PROUD of you! Yes, it’s what they do! Yes, it’s what they’ve done many times to me. The amount of disrespect is unbelievable. Nothing was done to address what was done to me. NOT ONE THING,” Cece wrote.
Royce had next on adding her two cents to the show’s reported problematic behavior.
“I 100% agree with you. The amount of disrespect I received and favoritism I witnessed for 4 seasons to be blanketed by and dismissed by production edits or cast interviews was depressing. But I went back for those seasons after being told a change would happen. It never did,” she wrote. “To even excuse the terms used when other networks have respectfully parted ways with cast members for less offensive remarks simply because of ratings is so sad and shows not much has changed on the network.”
OG isn’t delusional. Castmate Evelyn Lozada has repeatedly displayed anti-Black and colorist behavior on the show, including referring to OG as an ape on social media in September 2019.
AND THERE iT iS..
SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS YOU RACiST BiGOT..YOU CALLED CECE “LiNG LiNG” JACKiE A “COCKROACH” & NOW ME A “MONKEY”
MAY GOD TAKE CARE OF YOU WELL WELL..EVELYN LOZADA..@vh1 NOT OK#iHEARTOG #NiGERiANknockout #BBWLA #VH1 #BASKETBALLwives#evelynLOZADAtheRACiST #BOOM pic.twitter.com/EvIeAagXQ9
— i ♥️ OG ™ (@iHeartOG) September 11, 2019
Recently, the newly-minted “afro-Latina” stayed throwing rocks and then hiding her hands.
Lozada passive-aggressively tweeted about OG but was quickly gathered by OG’s supporters.
It’s the fake afro latina narrative
It’s the fake Iyanla Vanzant I changed story for me
It’s the fake charity work storyline for me
It’s the fake I ain’t rcst but call people Leeele and? for me
It’s the fake Og is agressive narrative while I attack people from the back for me— IamLarita….ne ??????
(@ritouxxx) February 17, 2021
You were baptized but you starting BS. #Makeitmakesense
— AlwaysLoyal83 (@ALoyal83) February 17, 2021
It’s you using AAVE & Being a racist for me
— muse. (@j0vintage) February 17, 2021
It’s the I don’t have a storyline again this season so I am just going to keep bringing up @iHeartOG. It also the I been baptized but yet I am the same person we remember your shoe store and how fake the size was so stop it.???
— Tomika (@Mikaleek) February 21, 2021
How is the fake bully but won’t do it again if @TamiRoman decided to return. But she has moved on. Its you and fake ass storyline. There is no way i would be friends with people if they said anything about my child. Fake shit. Or your NBA, NFL, MLB hoe ass.
— By Any Means Necessary (@msquietstorm3) February 24, 2021
I thought baptism suppose to wash away your sins & you’re supposed to grow & not repeat those sins anymore here you are being the same ignorant lady people call you out to be!
— Floridashit™️ (@DfloridaL) February 17, 2021
According to Cheat Sheet, the show’s producer Shaunie O’Neal, while denying OG’s experiences with colorism, vowed that this season would be better.
“This season, give these ladies another a chance,” she said. “Give everybody, including me, if whoever judges, another chance to see that growth is happening and things are changing. You’ll see some difference this season.”
We won’t hold our breath.
