Did Erica Mena Play The Game Or Play Herself: Instagrams Underage Modeling Pic

For throw back Thursday Erica Mena posted a photo of herself in XXL Magazine with the caption “The Youngest EVER to be XXL Magazine Eye candy to this day! Shot in 2004 I’m 26 now ! #Trueveteran YOUNG Boss Hustler at it’s BEST #HER Then#HER Even Better NOW.” What the Love & Hip Hop star didn’t bank on was people doing the math and realizing that 10 years ago when she took the photo she was only 15 or 16. Granted some people may not deem the photo as suggestive, if you think about it being a 15 year old, some people could definitely see it as inappropriate. One commenter writes, “that’s crazy you can still catch a child pornography case even 20 years after the fact. But your hustle now is unmatched” and was blocked soon after.

So what are your thoughts, did Erica Mena play the game or play herself? On one hand, it’s great that she has had a career that has spanned 10+ years and in some capacity has maintained relevancy in an industry where you are only allowed a literal 15 minutes. Kudos to that.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, boasting about taking a sexually suggestive photo while you were a minor is just asking for folks to criticize. I know as a parent I’m not letting my 15/16 year old anywhere near a photo shoot like that. Especially not for XXL’s “Eye Candy” feature. Do you know who reads XXL for the “Eye Candy” feature? Grown ass men.

My opinion, she did the shoot at 16. Suggestive or not, it’s already done. The smart thing to do would have been to not put out there that she did the shoot as a minor. In doing so you’re not only inviting judgement but now we are side-eying XXL for allowing a minor to be half naked in their magazine.