Erica Mena is opening up about her eldest child, her son King Conde. During a recent interview with Carlos King for the Reality with the King podcast, the former Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star shared her experiences as a young mother and the sacrifices she made to provide for her firstborn.

“Having King really set the tone for how I would hustle,” Erica shared.

Erica was 19 when she welcomed King into the world. As a young mom, she was determined to provide for her son.  “I made sure to give King whatever he wanted,” she said. 

 

Eventually, Erica made the tough decision to leave King’s dad, Raul Conde, and forged her own path in the real world. “My hustle changed when I had [my] son,” she admitted to Carlos.

Erica leaned on her family for support, with her mom and sisters playing crucial roles in helping raise King. During her time on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta , which filmed in Los Angeles, she would work tirelessly from Monday to Friday, dedicating the rest of the week to being with her son, who lived in New York. “My son deserved stability and a foundation”.

Despite her love and dedication, Erica shared that she has been judged unfairly due to her son’s introverted nature.

She revealed, “I guess because my son is not the hippest kid and is very introverted, people assume that there is something birthwise wrong with him.” 

“People come up with these crazy scenarios about my son, some of which have gotten back to him, and that is hurtful,” Erica lamented.

King, who is now 16 years old and graduating high school this year, fills Erica’s heart with pride.

“I am so proud,” she tearfully said.

She is, however, filled with regret. “The time I missed for having to provide, I can never get back with my kid. So naturally, I am always going to have that regret,” she admitted.

“But at the same time i look around and I’m like, he’s never wanted for anything, he’s gone to the best schools, [and] he’s loved on,” she added.

Erica further explained, “I sacrificed a lot of time away from him to provide and get comfortable enough where I’m at, but I can never get that time back. So it hurts when people say, ‘Oh, she abandoned her kid.'”

She emphasized that King didn’t ask her to be his mother, and his preference for a quieter, more private life is entirely valid.

In addition to King, Erica Mena has two other children, Legend and Safire, with her ex-husband Safaree Samuel