media that the season would be her last. Teairra Marí and Nikki Mudarris would also return late into the season in supporting roles. On July 8, 2019, VH1 confirmed the return of Apryl Jones and Fizz to the main cast, along with the addition of Yo-Yo, with new supporting cast members Micky Munday, J-Boog, Brittany B. and Akon's wife Tricia Ana. The show never returned after the COVID-19 pandemic, instead Ray J and Princess were transferred to the cast of Love & Hip Hop: Miami to continue their storylines. Cast timeline Main cast (appears in opening credits) Secondary cast (appears in green screen confessional segments and in end credits alongside the main cast) Guest cast (appears in a guest role or cameo) Note: Storylines Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood chronicles the professional and romantic struggles of women and men in the hip hop industry, as well as the intense and violent rivalries between them. Over the seasons, the show has explored addiction, substance abuse and mental illness. Many female cast members identify as bisexual, lesbian or sexually fluid, and the show is one of the few television shows to explore LGBT issues from a black perspective. Homophobia in the hip hop world is explored in greater depth in the second season when openly gay rappers Milan and Miles join the cast. Reception Critical response Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood has largely escaped the controversy and criticism that has plagued the franchise since its inception. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called this incarnation a "great soap opera, but has little to do with modern music-making". Writer Michael Arceneaux praised the show for its portrayal of LGBT issues, and in 2018 for being the only show in the franchise to continue to provide "a ratchet good time". Scripting allegations Love & Hip Hop is often criticized for appearing to fabricate much of its storyline. Scott-Young has denied those claims: “I can’t stress enough that the stuff they deal with on (Love & Hip Hop) is real. We may frame it within a production construct that allows us to shoot on a schedule, but we’re not making up the stuff that they’re going through.” Ratings The Love & Hip Hop franchise is one of the highest-rated franchises in cable television history. In an overview of the television cultural divide, The New York Times reported that Love & Hip Hop was most