Reality shows have produced many iconic scenes in television history that have stood the test of time. Reality TV queen Tiffany Pollard is the Internet’s latest obsession as her “Do you know you have 30 minutes” reaction from the early 2000s dating show Flavor of Love has gone viral. K. Michelle’s “She’s shaking the table” moment from her early days on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta remains unforgettable. Then, there’s the meme of Tyra Banks’ “We were all rooting for you” fromAmerica’s Next Top Model. Although reality TV shows are responsible for delivering many pop culture moments, there are instances where situations go too far. The recent reunion episode for Zeus Network’s Baddies Caribbean is a prime example.
During filming, Baddies Caribbean castmates Sydonie Person (also known as Diamond The Body) and Latifa “Tesehki” Malone fought each other to the point where Diamond needed medical attention for her injuries. In an Instagram post, Diamond shared gruesome photos of her bloody lip and missing tooth that resulted from the altercation. Fans reacted to the post by expressing concern for the reality star and inquiring why security or production staff didn’t step in. In a six-part video series, Diamond took to TikTok to respond and weigh in on the situation.
“I am not upset about the results of this reunion,” Diamond said to her supporters. “I’m not upset about the fight with Tesehki. I don’t regret it. I don’t take it back. I knew she was going to win the fight, obviously…The point was for your entertainment. I knew you guys wanted to see her fight. I knew the world wanted to see her fight, but nobody wanted to fight her. Just doing my job as a reality TV star and entertainer, I took it upon myself.”
Created by Bad Girls Club (BGC) alums Natalie Nunn and Tanisha Thomas,Baddies joined the reality TV universe after debuting on Zeus Network in May 2021. The show started in Atlanta and has since expanded into several installments (Baddies South, Baddies West, and Baddies East) covering different regions. For its latest season, the show filmed internationally, and Baddies Caribbean took the Internet by storm—and not for good reasons.
Dubbed the unofficial spinoff of BGC, Baddies has built a reputation for creating a toxic environment that instigates its cast members to undergo endless cycles of physical altercations and verbal abuse. The constant fighting has led to many clips going viral online, which ultimately works in Zeus Network’s favor, as audience engagement boosts viewership.
However, exploiting these young women for the sake of views crosses a line—especially when it pertains to a person’s safety and physical well-being. While it seems that Diamond was aware of how quickly fights can escalate and potentially lead to life-threatening situations, her biggest grievance involves the lack of sympathy from her castmates and the production team.
She continued, “What I’m upset about is the lack of compassion that my castmates or Zeus had for me after this was done to me. Fights happen. At the end of the day, you can’t determine what’s going to happen in a fight, but it was the lack of concern, sympathy, and empathy after the situation and leaving the set to go to the hospital. After my tooth got knocked out, the lack of emotion was mind-blowing because I’m hurt for real.”
On TikTok, the reality star accused her boss, Natalie Nunn, of not checking on her after the fight and claimed she was prompted to get back on stage before getting evaluated by a medic. She also exposed how the conflicts displayed on the show are manufactured strictly for entertainment. Diamond revealed text threads that showed messages of her conspiring with her fellow castmates to create fake beef and arguments on camera. However, in this case, the premeditated drama exceeded a level of unacceptable behavior that shouldn’t be applauded.
Diamond’s troubling experience isn’t the first time the reality show has lost its moral compass and faced criticism. In an episode ofBaddies East that aired in January, reality star Krystal “Smiley” Borrego had a seizure while hanging out with her castmates in Jamaica. Instead of showing concern for Borrego as she was unconscious and transported in a wheelchair, a few of her castmates accused her of faking the medical emergency. Regardless, Borengo was in a vulnerable state, and no one should have to endure that level of toxicity and unprofessionalism when their life is potentially at risk.
The Baddies series has proven time and time again that TV ratings are worth more than implementing measures to protect the welfare of the women on their show. While the outcome may be “good TV,” it affects people’s real lives once the cameras are no longer rolling. The lengths that reality shows like Baddies will go to for the sake of entertainment and ratings are not normal and need to be reevaluated.
