‘Baddies East’ Proved to Be Too Much for Rapper Siya to Handle

The Gist:

• Openly lesbian and masculine-presenting rapper, Siya, joined the 'Baddies East' cast in 2023.
• After six episodes on the show, Siya reportedly left due to the show taking a "mental toll" on her.
• Siya has other ventures outside of 'Baddies East'

Zeus's original reality TV series, Baddies East, hosted and executive produced by Natalie Nunn, features social media influencers and music artists looking to promote themselves. However, as with most ensemble reality shows, drama is the focus rather than the cast's aspirations.

Baddies East is certainly no exception, as the women who join the show know there’s a chance they will have to put their boxing gloves on before the cameras stop rolling.

The controversial series has been a little too rowdy for some of the Baddies East cast. Since the season premiere aired in September 2023, several baddies have left the building, including openly LGBTQ+ rapper Siya.

So, why did Siya leave Baddies East? Here’s everything we know.

Siya, whose real name is Michele Herman, was no stranger to reality TV before she signed up to join Baddies East. Those familiar with the short-lived Oxygen series Sisterhood Of Hip-Hop, likely saw Siya on the show with fellow rappers Diamond, Bia, Brianna Perry, Nyemiah Supreme, and Audra The Rapper. After the show ended, Siya also appeared on an episode of The Doctors, where the doctors helped her fix her chipped tooth.

Following a few television appearances, Siya decided to join Baddies East to represent the masculine-presenting baddies on the East Coast. In her confessional interview, Siya said she wanted to debunk the “common misconceptions” that masc-presenting LGBTQ+ women “want to be men.”

Despite Siya making it clear she was on the show to be a positive representation of her community, many of her fans were shocked to see her breaking bread with other controversial reality stars like Chrisean Rock, Woah Vicky, and Sky Days from Black Ink Crew fame. Nonetheless, Siya continued appearing in several episodes, though her followers already knew she left the show early.

In August 2023, a TikTok account named @magiteamagi reposted a video of Siya confirming she was back home in Brooklyn, N.Y., ahead of the Baddies premiere. The footage showed the “Nights B4 Show” rapper chilling with her male friends outside.

Siya explained on Baddies East that she voluntarily left the show in episode 6 to prioritize her mental health. She explained in the confessional that she "had to do what's best for me" as she exited the cast's bus to go home.

Although Siya reportedly exited Baddies East to focus on her mental health, fans of the show missed her presence and weren’t afraid to tell her. Since she left, her supporters have expressed their discontent and shared how much they missed Siya under her Instagram posts.

“I’m sad u left baddies 😢,” one fan wrote.

“She did a good thing. I don’t think that show was for her anyway,” another said on TikTok.

Luckily for Siya’s fans, her choice to leave Baddies East doesn’t mean she will be less visible or less susceptible to online thirst traps.

She is still quite active on her Instagram account and has been sharing snippets of new music with her fans. The actor also stars in Bet Plus’s original series, Angel, which premiered in early 2023.