Season 10 of Basketball Wives premiered on VH1 on May 16. The new season of the show brought back several prior cast members, like Jennifer Williams, Jackie Christie, Malaysia Pargo, Angel Brinks, Brandi Maxiell, DJ Duffey, Brooke Bailey, and Brittish Williams. And of course, Basketball Wives executive producer Shaunie O’Neal is also featured in the newest season.
Basketball Wives first premiered in 2010 and quickly became a popular reality TV “dirty pleasure” for many viewers. The show follows the life and relationships of the wives, girlfriends, and ex-wives of NBA athletes. Many consider the show to be wildly entertaining. It was even one of VH1’s highest-rated programs, netting around 1-2 million viewers per episode at the height of its popularity. The show’s notoriety is due in large part to the stars of the show and their lively personalities and dramatic relationships. However, viewers seemingly won’t see several popular faces in season 10.
Here’s what we know about the cast members that aren’t in season 10 and why.
Ogom “O.G.” Chijindu
OG joined the show in Season seven as the girlfriend of professional baller Kwame Alexander. There was some serious drama with OG and some of the other Basketball Wives women since her time on the show began. Most notably, OG accused the cast of colorism, saying that she felt like other cast members treated her unfairly because she is a dark-skinned woman.
Her biggest gripe was with a fellow cast member, Evelyn Lozada, who she said was racist towards her. One instance, in particular, involved Evelyn’s usage of a laughing monkey emoji on Instagram, which OG felt was referencing her. Since the feud, it was rumored that OG was fired from the show because her “aggression” made other women feel uncomfortable. Though other reports say OG left on her own accord.
Evelyn Lozada
Evelyn Lozada who joined the show in its first season will also not be returning to season 10 after the tumultuous relationship with OG. After season nine ended, Evelyn announced her departure from the show. In 2019 Lozada claimed that the “colorism” backlash lost her lucrative endorsement deals and caused her to fear for her safety after receiving numerous threats online. So she filed a defamation lawsuit against OG.
In her final season, Lozada began to feel like being on Basketball Wives had become too toxic for her. Lozada admitted to E! News that it was a “hard decision” to walk away after nine seasons, but in the end, it came down to the “heavy” toll she felt doing the series. “It’s not the most positive energy,” Lozada explained, citing a difficult last few seasons.
Tami Roman
Tami Roman joined Basketball Wives in season two and left midway through its 8th season. Roman often found herself at odds with other cast members and didn’t like all the drama. As the seasons progressed, Roman’s issues with her co-stars continued. As a result, Roman quit the show in 2019 and did not attend the reunion special. Roman has said in multiple interviews that her BBW co-stars were not her friends, just her co-workers.
Another reason Roman opted to leave the show was to focus on her acting career. Since BBW, Roman has starred in several films and TV shows, including Saints & Sinners, The Family Business, Fall Girls, and as Denise on BET+’s The Ms. Pat Show.
Kristen Scott
Kristen Scott joined the cast of BBW in its seventh season. After three seasons Scott decided to leave the show. In an exclusive statement to The Jasmine Brand, Scott announced her exit, with a rep telling the outlet: “Kristen is very grateful for the opportunity she had with Basketball Wives. Currently, she is focusing on other endeavors, family, and the launch of her Children’s book: BROCCOLI HAIR. To keep up with Kristen you can find her on Instagram at @mrskristenscott.”
