“Culture’s biggest night,” better known as the BET Awards, looked like a lit one for Bow Wow. He was the final act in the show’s ‘106 & Park’ tribute, and he did what needed to be done! Bow, real name Shad Moss, even had Jermaine Dupri pop out for the nostalgic moment! But, as he performed ‘Like You,’ viewers at home and online peeped that Ciara didn’t join him on stage, despite attending the show. Now, Bow is clearing the air on why CiCi wasn’t included in the performance. Not only that, the actor-rapper also said a lil’ something something about embracing his ex-fiancée Erica Mena on the red carpet!
As mentioned, Bow Wow was one of several musical acts honoring the legendary ‘106 & Park.’ Ashanti, Amerie, Jim Jones, Keyshia Cole, Mya, T.I., and B2K also performed for the segment. Shad wowed fans and the audience when Jermaine Dupri came out, given his past shade towards the producer. When Bow started singing ‘Like You,’ Ciara wasn’t on the mic for her iconic lyrics. It’s unclear if she was in the audience during the performance, but sis attended the awards rocking a custom CONG TRI design. Nonetheless, fans noticed.
Speaking to TMZ after his performance, Bow Wow pointed the finger at BET, saying they didn’t set up the duet. He said he didn’t know Ciara had attended, and would’ve “happily” performed with her had BET arranged it.
For those who might not remember, when ‘Like You’ dropped in 2005, Ciara and Shad were an IT couple. Their relationship, which was an engagement at that point, ended the next year with reports of Bow Wow cheating.
Meanwhile, on social media, Bow cleared the air as fans speculated about an unexpected moment on the red carpet. While speaking to Marques Houston for BET, Erica Mena snuck in between them, putting her arms around him. Shad immediately jumped back saying, “Oh sh*t,” leaving him speechless whole Marques had a good laugh! As he stumbled for words, Erica said, “Can I get a hug? It’s been a while?” and he reached in for one, and gave her a kiss on the neck. She then asked him, “Are you proud of me?” and he agreed!
After the video started going around, Shad Moss reposted it on his platforms with a bunch of laughing emojis and the caption: “I was just trying to do my job. Why they be doing me like this?”
The moment turned heads given Bow and Erica Mena’s history. They picked up a romance in early 2014 after she guest-starred on ‘ 106 & Park’ and shared a passionate on-screen kiss. In March, photos showed her feeding Bow at his birthday party. The internet got more invested, but it wasn’t until the BET Hip Hop Awards in the fall that Mena revealed they were engaged. In June 2015, Bow Wow told XXL they were “close” to getting married. But that never happened. By the end of 2015, the engagement and relationship had ended. In 2018, things got messy on the internet after she revealed texts between them about their breakup. He later responded to X, saying he kicked her out of his Los Angeles home and called U-Haul to collect her belongings.
Bow Wow’s exes are leading different lives these days. Mena is divorced from the father of her youngest children, Safire and Legend. Despite their rocky online exchanges over the years, the parents recently came together for Safire’s graduation. While in Los Angeles, Mena also appeared in footage with Bambi as they protested against amped ICE raids in the city.
The post Aht! Aht! Bow Wow Addresses Performing ‘Like You’ Without Ciara & Hugging Erica Mena At 2025 BET Awards (VIDEOS) appeared first on The Shade Room.