This week’s episode of “Black Ink Crew: Chicago” was a mix of “disloyalty” and tears as longtime cast mate Charmaine Walker cut ties with 9MAG.
The vivacious assistant viewers met on season 1 of the reality show finally reached her breaking point after years of seemingly dealing with drama and decided to officially quit the Chicago-based tattoo shop. Walker claimed the shop wasn’t the “same anymore” after 9MAG owner Ryan Henry decided to open a second location and leave his day one employees at the old shop while hiring a completely new staff for the new store. Not to mention she and her fiancé Neek Bey got into a pretty heated argument with archnemesis Lily Barrios during Tuesday night’s episode.
While holding an event for the 9MAG brand in Miami, Barrios came seconds away from trying to put her hands on Walker’s fiancé. The Mexican-American tattoo artist and Bey apparently were engulfed in a few social media spats while off-air after Barrios got into a fight with Walker last season after her constant use of the n-word.
Barrios claimed Bey called her a b–ch while going back and forth online and decided to confront him about the dispute during 9MAG’s Miami event.
“Don’t talk s–t to a mutherf–king female because I will wop you,” Barrios yelled at Bey. “Keep my name out your mouth!”
Security eventually escorted Barrios, Bey and Walker out of the club after the incident, and seemingly influenced Walker’s decision to quit 9MAG.
“With how things are going right now and the energy, I’m done with 9MAG for good,” Walker told her cast mates, including shop owner Henry. “It’s not something I want to be a part of. I hope things change, but right now I am just drained and I really wanna focus on the things that just make me happy right now.”
Henry claimed there were “no hard feelings” as shop manger Van Johnson and tattoo artists Phor and Don Brumfield all remained speechless.
Walker added in her confessional, “I always knew that I was gonna move on one day, but never did I imagine it would be like this. … I don’t know what’s in store for me when I get back to Chicago, but what I do know is that the constant drama that’s surrounding 9MAG is taking a toll on me, my mood, my relationship.”
“Black Ink Crew: Chicago” viewers mourned Walker’s departure from the shop while scolding the 9MAG crew for not fighting for her presence at the shop and seemingly choosing Barrios over her.
“These unloyal mfs! I do think Charmaine and Lily need to go !!! But Charmaine has been a sister even before the show so loyalty comes first smh 😡.”
“Wow this was disloyalty at the finest. They didn’t even fight for her to stay. I’m gonna miss Charmaine she was 9mag.”
“Yes they should’ve taken her side! Lilly is so damn messy and needs to go. Ain’t no way Ceaser and Ted would of let this happen to Sky smh. Ryan need to stop acting like a p—y 🤦🏽.”
“Damn they didn’t even fight for her to stay they not your friends. I’m not gonna be watching this no more. They clearly chose Lily over her, n lily is toxic asf and trash. This show has gone to 💩 .”
