W.A.G.s to Riches was supposed to be Netflix‘s alternative to the popular The Real Housewives franchise. The eight-episode series followed nine women who became famous due to their relationships with rappers and athletes. The series promised to show their”‘gl amorous and drama-filled lives,” as they tried to make a name for themselves in Miami.

Where the concept of showing off the hard work behind being a successful woman and balancing married life, work, and motherhood sounded fresh, the reality of the TV series was very different. Instead of putting the spotlight on the hustle, W.A.G.s to Riches ultimately became another show filled with catfights at dinner and escalating feuds.

Netflix viewers are split over W.A.G.s to Riches, with many dubbing the reality show an “absolute mess.” Despite the many criticisms, many viewers felt they could not look away from the drama. The Mirror noted the mixed reviews. “So Wags to Riches was an easy binge. Happy to see an all-black female cast who aren’t housewives. Some racial issues highlighted, but that is the world we live in. I would watch another season. P.S. Someone please tell Sharelle she is a mean girl.”

Audiences Didn’t Warm Up To The W.A.G.s To Riches Cast

The main issue with W.A.G.s to Riches is that the cast is uninteresting, and the show fails to set them up in a way that makes them magnetic. These types of reality TV shows rely on audiences connecting to the cast and wanting to follow their lives.

• When we meet the nine women, we get very little information about their backgrounds.
• Instead, Netflix seems to believe we already know these women and their lore.
• Although some have been in the public eye, none are household names or would be recognizable to most viewers.

A common criticism was the way the show set up a concept of empowered women making a name for themselves, yet found another show dedicated to women arguing and being mean to each other. The opening episode introduces the women to their roles in real estate, tech, and business, yet never shows them in their element.

While reality TV fans live for the drama, the conflicts in W.A.G.s to Riches were criticized for feeling unnecessary and inauthentic. The most popular reality shows benefit from natural chemistry among the cast, whether it’s as friends or enemies. The lack of chemistry, mixed with the lack of background, kept viewers struggling to stay tuned in.

“WAGS to Riches really disappointed me. I really wanted to see women that are bosses who handle their careers, marriage, and motherhood. It was nothing but mess and mean girls,” a viewer wrote on X. The trailer that promised a glimpse into these women’s struggles and entrepreneurial journeys may have been misleading to the Netflix audience.

• In the opening episode, Sherelle Rosado calls out Lastonia “Stoni” Leviston for recording a sex tap with her ex-boyfriend before it was leaked because of an argument with her other ex, Rick Ross.
• Sherelle made a big deal out of her damaged “reputation,” and criticized Stoni she spent her $5 million payout after suing and winning for revenge porn.
• In a show that is supposed to be a positive representation of womanhood, viewers were turned off by Stoni being judged for being a victim of revenge porn.
• Audiences, and The Huffington Post, felt Sherelle was being hypocritical as her then-fiance Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson had a certain reputation. In 2012, the footballer was arrested on charges of domestic battery against his ex-wife.

Is W.A.G.s To Riches Just A Meaner Reboot Of Selling Tampa?

Netflix described W.A.G.s to Riches as “Basketball Wives meets Selling Sunset.” Perhaps the show is just too referential to other reality TV favorites and ones that audiences like much more.

Many believe the new show is nothing more than a reboot of the now-canceled Seling Tampa. Both shows center on real estate agent Sharelle Rosado. Her former castmates Colony, Anne-Sophie, and Tenelle even appear in the background of Sharelle’s party.

Some episodes felt like another Selling Sunset spin-off, with the women working in the real estate office and showing off houses. Other moments see the women arguing about their personal lives, like the Housewives from Bravo’s The Real Housewives franchise. If the show gets a second season, the network needs to refocus the format rather than try to mix multiple different genres.

Where Sharelle was a popular star of Selling Tampa, Collider wonders if this new reality TV outing has “ruined” her reputation. Where Sharelle came across well on the Selling Sunset spinoff, she has been labeled a bully in the new Netflix show.

“I don’t like Sharelle. She is a bully just because she has money. She thinks she can control everyone,” one fan posted on Facebook about the newest reality TV villain.

After criticism for her mean girl behavior, Sharelle Rosado went live on social media with her Humble Baddies co-stars to defend her actions. Sharelle Rosado spoke about how the reality show was exaggerated to include more conflict and leave out the more genuine, softer moments.

She felt she wasn’t being mean and was just being “direct,” with her co-stars and is a “girls girl.”

Does W.A.G.s To Riches Have A Colorism Issue?

Black women also noticed the colorism within the cast of W.A.G.s to Riches. A TikTok user felt the show portrayed the “microcosm” of how footballers date, and how they prefer women of a certain skin color and hair texture.

In the opening episode, Julz “YesJulz” Goddard explains how she is best known for working with and being fired by Kanye West at Yeezy. The audience criticized her casting after numerous controversies over the years — including colorism.

Writer Kenyatta Victoria noted the confusion in her Substack, wondering why Julz was added to the predominantly Black cast as her digital footprint was littered with cultural appropriation. At one point, she gets into an argument with Sharelle Rosado’s former agent, Kenea Daniair, who calls Julz a “culture vulture.”

A Reddit comment also called out the show for not addressing the women’s skin color and how it impacted their lives. “This show made these black women seem shallow and vapid and makes it appear that while wealth had an impact on how they live, it had no positive impact on how they strive and thrive.”

When a fan asked if Sherelle was extra mean to Stoni Leviston because of colorism, she replied with a photo of her mother. “I guess I don’t like my Mom either! Girl Bye! This colorism narrative is dead!!!” she responded on X.

A Reddit post noted their frustration at seeing a cast of rich Black women arguing. “Why can’t we have a show where successful black women are uplifting each other? And also, why can’t we platform self-made women instead of wives of rich men? This is the same thing about Real Housewives as well (with the exception of certain cast mates).”