Evelyn Lozada had threatened to leave the hit show “Basketball Wives” after she was, in her opinion, portrayed as a shameless husband-stealing whore in the explosive, hair-pulling, fist-swapping season finale. Unless, of course, they agreed to her contract demands, which they did.
According to what inside sources spilled to TMZ, the production gave the temptress more than what she asked for. While she didn’t get the $20,000-per-episode she demanded, Lozada was reportedly “very happy” with the counteroffer, which was more than double what she received for season two. They also gave Lozada a mea culpa for what preceded the terse tussle between her and Tami Roman.
The “Basketball Wives” producers were said to have apologized to Lozada for the way she was portrayed in the season two finale. Lozada threatened to leave the show after she felt the producers backstabbed her. Lozada believes that “Basketball Wives” brainchild and executive producer Shaunie O’Neal conspired with VH1 execs to leak information about Lozada’s tryst with Tami Roman’s ex-husband that preceded the violent rumble between the two volatile personalities.
The misunderstanding caused a major fallout that also negatively impacted O’Neal’s image in the short term. Some of the show’s fans think that O’Neal cunningly ignited the confrontation, then receded to the background with popcorn in hand to watch Lozada’s real-life drama unfold. O’Neal denies she set up Lozada for that beat down, however.
Lozada is currently engaged to NFL star Chad Ochocinco, and shooting for season three is already underway. –terry shropshire
