It was a sad day for reality TV fanatics when the sip tea VH1 series Hollywood Exes was canceled. Airing for three seasons from 2012 to 2014, the show gave an inside look at the divorcees of some of the top entertainers of our time, including the former wives of mega superstar Prince, blockbuster actor Will Smith, legendary comedians Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, R&B king R. Kelly and baseball player José Canseco.
Mayte Garcia, Sheree Fletcher, Shamicka Gibbs, Andrea Kelly and Jessica Canseco invited viewers to see their lives after divorce and it was a quite interesting journey that showed a sisterhood of women navigating the ups and downs that come with starting over. Later, Daphne Wayans, the ex-wife of Keenen Ivory Wayans, would briefly join the cast in Season 2 and Travis Barker’s ex-wife Shanna Moakler joined in the third season.
Hollywood Exes dealt with all types of issues, including adoption, dating, miscarriages, parenting, plastic surgery, cheating and even, fur. Plus, we had the pleasure of seeing what type of women these superstars end up with, which is always an added bonus.
The ratings were good and so were the reviews. So, it was highly disappointing when the show was canceled going into its fourth season with no explanation at all. Sheree Fletcher, the former wife of Will Smith, broke the news in an interview with Hip Hollywood that the network informed the cast of the show cancellation in December 2014. She hinted that it was possible the network decided to nix the show because it didn’t have “enough drama.”
This is ludicrous in the overall scheme of things because the reality show actually showed a real side of the ladies that average women could relate to. A spin-off, Atlanta Exes, followed but was quickly canceled after just one season. It seemed to be a hasty and irrational decision, considering that some shows have run on for years, including the longstanding franchises Real Housewives of Atlanta and Love & Hip Hop.
With most people tapping into their streaming services for entertainment due to the constant ebbs and flows of COVID-19 shutdowns, what would it be like to bring back Hollywood Exes for another run?
There’s certainly been new developments since the cancellation. For instance, Andrea Kelly has recently been vocal about intricate and shocking details between her and R. Kelly. Nicole Murphy ended her relationship with Michael Strahan, but would soon get caught up in a love triangle when photos released over the Internet showed her kissing married director Antoine Fuqua.
Sheree Fletcher was last seen hanging with Will Smith and the family when he bungee jumped over a canyon. Smith recently said in a Red Table Talk interview that divorcing Fletcher was “the worst thing” in his adult life and an “ultimate failure” for him. Shamicka Gibbs went on to become an owner of several Massage Envys.
Jessica Canseco still runs her own Beverly Hills cosmetic treatment center and released a biography called Juicy: Confessions of a Former Baseball Wife. In a weird twist of news, the Playboy model was accused by her first ex-husband of having an affair with Alex Rodriguez, which she vehemently denies.
Shanna Moakler made headlines when she tested positive for COVID-19 after revealing dramatic weight loss. Mayte Garcia continues to host, act and teach bellydance classes. All in all, these women are pretty interesting and their stories deserve an audience.
Some new additions to the reboot of the Hollywood version of the show could include Nicole Young, Dr. Dre’s wife who is in the midst of a divorce after a 24-year marriage; Kristin Cavallari, who just ended her marriage with Jay Cutler this year; and Torrei Hart, the ex-wife of comedian Kevin Hart who was featured on Atlanta Exes.
It’s just a thought. A thought we would certainly watch!
