In W.A.G.s to Riches, which streams all eight of its episodes on Netflix at once, the “wives and girlfriends” of rappers and athletes convene in Miami, Florida, where the women’s affluent lifestyles are both products of their relationships and their own work as professionals. The new way forward is to have “two hustlers” in the family, it is said, with Jay-Z and Beyoncé as the model. Starring here is Sharelle Rosado (Selling Tampa), CEO of Allure Realty – former NFL receiver Chad Ochocinco is her fiancé – and a group of women – together with other notable husbands and boyfriends – who call Miami home. Are they friends? Mostly! Will W.A.G.s to Riches fulfill your craving for South Florida bling and drama before Real Housewives of Miami returns for Season 7? Probably! And chances are especially good, if the spiciness already on offer in the early going of W.A.G.s is any indication.
Opening Shot: A chrome and blue sky and fancy sports car montage, with piles of cash getting spent in Miami. “The old definition of W.A.G.s was like, ‘Oh, I’m a kept bitch,’ Porsha Berto says in a cutaway. “But now I’m making my money. That’s the new W.A.G.”
The Gist: So who’s in this W.A.G.s friend group? Porsha, who’s married to former welterweight boxer Andre Berto, is also a realtor with Allure, Sharelle’s agency. Ashley Wheeler, whose husband Philip played in the NFL, is also affiliated with Allure, as is Maranda “Mjaé” Johnson, who has two young children with rapper Kodak Black. Alexis Welch Stoudemire has four children with her former husband, Amar’e Stoudemire. Swimwear designer Sadé Vanessa is married to NFL wide-out Robbie Chosen, Lastonia “Stoni” Leviston’s ex is rapper Rick Ross, Keeta Hill is married to Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, and Julz Goddard is a social media influencer, marketer, and – as detailed in the first episode – a somewhat disgruntled former employee of Yeezy.
As a few of the couples meet on the links at Miami Beach Golf Club, Porsha shares a bit about their dynamic. “In this social circle, there is a hierarchy,” and Sharelle calls the shots. “She’s a popular girl, and if you’re seeking to be a popular bitch, you wanna get next to a popular bitch.” But! Beware. “If Sharelle says you’re out, you’re probably out.” This is a concern of Stoni’s, as we learn later at her lunch with Alexis. Why is she being shunned by the others?
In another cutaway, Alexis acknowledges the clique-ish nature of their group. But as someone who W.A.G.s is working hard to highlight as a mediator, Alexis also says they should ideally “give each other grace as women.” At all times, their lives are intertwined as professionals, wives, girlfriends, moms, and majorly blinged-out scene-makers. But as the series unfolds, and in the tradition of basically every Real Housewives iteration ever, the questions will rise up. Who is truly a supporter of whom, who is gatekeeping who else, and who’s just there for the drama? And all the while, the men their lives flit about in the margins. Like Mjaé’s complaints about other women stepping to Kodak Black, or Sharelle’s ongoing engagement to Chad Ochocinco, which in a tease for a later episode could hinge on the financial particulars of their prenuptial agreement.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Selling Tampa only lasted a season, but the Selling Sunset spinoff still streams on Netflix, if you’re looking for more of Sharelle Rosado’s professional life. And Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez, a Hulu reality show about pro wrestlers and married couple Bianca Belair and Montez Ford, is from the same production company as W.A.G.s, which is also behind the real estate reality entry Buying Beverly Hills.
Our Take: The women of W.A.G.s to Riches are not going to pull punches. “I don’t see myself fuckin’ with you, because of the reputation you have” – wow Sharelle, don’t sugar coat it! You tell Stoni what you think about her private life becoming public. “Swat them bitches” – we see you, Mjaé! You make sure those other ladies coming for the rapper you’re dating know he’s your man. “I’ll bet you a Birkin bag” – OK, Porsha! Let’s keep the price tags high for this putting green scrum between you and Alexis. Immediately, W.A.G.s is keeping us entertained with its snapshots of a moneyed life. But it’s also keeping us guessing, as the women do not hold back in their cutaway commentary. Sure, they’ve all got money. As Alexis mentions at one point, that’s reason enough to secure entry into the group. But who actually gets along with who is already in question, and is bound to be a continuing issue.
Which is where all those bold statements come back into play. W.A.G.s to Riches enters a lifestyle reality sector that is already totally crammed with offerings. Like, there is an existing Real Housewives in Miami, complete with a professional-grade reality personality in Larsa Pippen. The ladies of W.A.G.s might as well come out of the gate swinging, at their adversaries and each other. That kind of behavior amplifies the drama on which shows like this feed, and solidifies how we perceive their own personalities.
Sex and Skin: Skin-wise, we catch some expensive swimwear looks during a boozy brunch at Ashley’s modernist mansion. But sex-wise, what’s more notable is the explosion of drama surrounding Stoni, a sex tape she was a part of, and its central role in a years-long beef between Rick Ross, her ex and “baby father,” and 50 Cent.
Parting Shot: A typical day at Stoni’s Miami fashion boutique is marred when her phone blows up with a new round of drama. It seems Mjaé got into it with another woman associated with Kodak Black. And from the shouting and swearing coming from the clip on Stoni’s phone, it sounds really messy.
Sleeper Star: Sleeper Star? How about Sleeper Agent, instead? Julz Goddard, also known by her influencer tag “YesJulz,” is introduced late in the first episode of W.A.G.s, and it’s with the full force of A) The fallout from her public firing by Yeezy; and B) Suspicion from some in the group about whether to trust her. If this show is cultivating villains, Julz seems like a candidate.
Most Pilot-y Line: In W.A.G.s to Riches, the confessional cutaways are where the money quotes hit. “Stoni don’t know I know this yet, but the streets came back telling me that Stoni was trying to figure out who I was, trying to find tea. And now she’s comin’ around trying to play victim with her grown ass.”
Our Call: Stream It. W.A.G.s to Riches has views on affluence to spare, lots of aspirational lifestyle vibing, and a ton of tailor-made reality show drama already popping off among its core crew.
Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.
