Honestly, the mid-2010s were a wild time for reality TV. You had these legends—women who basically soundtracked our middle school heartbreaks and backyard barbecues—stepping in front of cameras for TV One. When the R&B Divas LA cast first hit the screen in 2013, we all thought it would be this beautiful, soulful look at sisterhood and vocal runs.
Yeah, that’s not exactly what happened.
Instead of a "kinder, gentler" show, we got some of the most intense, neck-swerving drama in cable history. It’s been over a decade since the spinoff launched, and if you look at where the cast is now in 2026, the trajectories are actually kind of shocking. Some have found peace; others are still fighting the same battles.
The Original Six: Where the Chaos Started
The first season was the heavy hitter. You had Kelly Price, Chante Moore, Lil' Mo, Claudette Ortiz, Michel'le, and Dawn Robinson.
Let’s talk about Kelly Price for a second. On the show, she was framed as the "villain." It was messy. She famously clashed with the cast over the "Diva Monologues" project, and frankly, people didn't let her live it down for years. Fast forward to today, and Kelly is still making headlines, though maybe not for the reasons fans want. Just recently in late 2025, she went on a massive social media tirade against "trolls," specifically calling out Black women in a way that left a lot of her longtime supporters feeling cold. It’s a tough look for someone with such a legendary voice.
Then there’s Chante Moore. Chante stayed on the show for its entire three-season run. She always felt like the "polished" one, but she wasn't afraid to let the claws out when needed. Since the show ended, she’s been incredibly productive. She dropped The Rise of the Phoenix and even a Christmas album. In 2026, she’s still out there performing, looking like she hasn't aged a day since 1992, and keeping her personal life a bit more guarded after the public fallout of her past marriages.
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The Survivors of the Death Row Era
Michel'le was always the most heartbreaking and fascinating part of the R&B Divas LA cast. Her speaking voice is famously high-pitched—almost childlike—but her singing voice? It’s a god-tier soulful growl.
The show gave her a platform to start telling her truth, which eventually led to her 2016 biopic, Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le. It was a brutal look at the domestic violence she endured. Nowadays, Michel'le is mostly focused on being an advocate for survivors. She doesn't release music as often as she used to, but her impact on the culture—reminding people that these "divas" were actually human beings going through hell behind the scenes—is probably her biggest legacy.
The Mid-Season Shakeups
By the time Season 2 and 3 rolled around, the cast changed. Dawn Robinson and Kelly Price were out. Enter Chrisette Michele and Leela James.
Chrisette Michele joining the show felt like a weird fit at the time. She was the "indie-soul" darling. But reality TV is a beast, and it definitely didn't help her brand the way she hoped. The real "turning point" for Chrisette wasn't even the show; it was her decision to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017.
The backlash was instant and devastating. She lost label deals, family members stopped talking to her, and she was basically "canceled" before that was even a formal term. In 2026, she’s still working her way back. She’s been releasing music independently through her "Rich Hipster" label. It’s a long road, but she’s been vocal about the mental health struggles that came with that level of public rejection.
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Lil' Mo’s Rollercoaster
Lil' Mo was the engine of the show. She brought the energy, the "hood" sensibility, and the comedy. But if you've followed her since the cameras stopped rolling, it’s been a lot of ups and downs.
- She went through a very public divorce from Phillip Bryant.
- She’s struggled with—and been open about—addiction issues.
- She even did a stint on Marriage Boot Camp.
Honestly, Lil' Mo is a survivor. She’s one of the few who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty in the reality TV mud, but you can tell the industry has taken a toll on her. She still does radio and pops up for "90s nostalgia" tours, but she's much more selective about which "diva" circles she runs in these days.
Claudette Ortiz: The Quiet Exit
Everyone remembers Claudette from City High. She was the breakout star of that group, and on R&B Divas LA, she was often the one caught in the middle. She was trying to relaunch a solo career while dealing with the realities of being a single mom.
Interestingly, Claudette is one of the few who basically stepped away from the reality TV circus. She didn't chase the drama. While she hasn't released that massive solo album everyone was waiting for, she’s remained a bit of an enigma. She’s done some modeling, some acting, and mostly stayed out of the blogs. In an era where everyone is fighting for a "like," her silence is actually kind of refreshing.
Why the Show Still Matters (Even if it Was Messy)
Look, R&B Divas: Los Angeles wasn't perfect. TV One often leaned too hard into the bickering and not enough into the recording studio sessions. But it did something important: it reminded the industry that these women were still here.
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Before the show, a lot of these artists were being written off as "legacy acts." The show proved there was still a massive audience that wanted to hear them. Even if the "sisterhood" was mostly a myth for the cameras, the individual careers of women like Chante Moore and Leela James definitely got a second wind because of that platform.
What You Should Do Now
If you're feeling nostalgic for that era of R&B, don't just go back and watch the old clips of them fighting. Most of these women have active catalogs that deserve more love than a 30-second reality TV clip.
The Real Next Steps:
- Check the 2020s Discography: Go listen to Chante Moore's The Rise of the Phoenix or Leela James' See Me. It’s significantly better than the "Diva Monologues" tracks.
- Watch the Biopics: If you missed Michel'le's Surviving Compton, find it. It gives so much context to why she was the way she was on the show.
- Support Independent Soul: Many of these women, like Chrisette Michele, are now 100% independent. Buying their music directly makes a way bigger difference than just streaming it.
The drama was "good" TV, but the music is what actually lasts. These women aren't just characters on a screen; they’re the architects of a sound that still influences everyone from SZA to Summer Walker. Treat them accordingly.