Unhinged & Immoral – Ep. 40: What Happened With Tucson & Ari?

Hosts: Jamila Bell & Mecca Evans
Guest: Tucson
Date: September 10, 2025
Production: Diamond MPrint Productions

Overview

This episode tackles the internet-breaking fallout between Tucson and Ari, best known for their on-screen chemistry, viral cooking show, and ultimately, a public and messy friendship breakup. Hosts Jamila and Mecca, alongside their guest Tucson, dig into reality TV manipulation, navigating industry friendships, viral rumors, and the toll of public scrutiny. Tucson shares his side of the Ari drama, dispels negative rumors, and gives a candid, emotional account of bouncing back after public loss and heartbreak.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tucson’s Start and Rise in Internet Fame

• Introduction to Tucson: Noted internet and TV personality from Detroit, known for being Tay’s (Arrogante’s) assistant and his role on Impact ATL.
• First Break: Tucson shares how his hilarious, unfiltered moments were recorded and posted by Tay, organically growing his following ([03:18]).
  • “I always play, like, the background. ...I would help him out. I would do... for free, for a long time. And then he just asked me one day, like, how much do you get paid? And I'm like, nothing.” – Tucson ([04:21])

Reality TV: Behind the Scenes

• Transition to Impact ATL: Started as Tay’s assistant, but his personality made him a fan favorite, eventually getting on the reunion stage as himself ([06:15]).
• Reality TV Manipulation:
  • Everything is real, but producers manipulate context and reactions through editing (“They can’t make you do nothing… However, it is a little manipulation going on.” – Tucson [08:24])
  • Audio splicing and “hot mic” moments misrepresent intent and timeline.

Memorable Reality TV Quotes:

• “No producers be produced.” – Tucson ([09:34])
• “...You could think something is happening, but it's not really happening. And then, you know, they react to that.” – Tucson ([08:24])

Persona, Perception & Internet Rumors

• How TV Shapes Public Perception:
  Tucson speaks on being labeled messy, loud, or even a “cokehead” due to reality TV portrayals and online gossip. He emphasizes the difference between real friendships and others’ perceptions ([10:53]).
  • “Anybody that meets me, love me... People take other people perception of me... and then that'll just be their opinion. So now you'll have this: Oh, Tucson is a cokehead...” ([10:53])

The Ari Fallout: What Really Happened?

Friendship Breakdown On and Off Camera

• Tucson & Ari’s Relationship: Once best friends with viral chemistry, their split shocked the internet.
• Incident Spillover:
  • The conflict boiled over during filming when Ari allegedly spat at Tucson ([18:13]) after a four-hour wait to begin shooting.
    “She spit at me. So she did. And then it was like... still like a laughing thing... But spit at me like I’m a dog.” – Tucson ([18:30])

The Money Drama

• The $20,000 Check:

  • During a filmed softball game, Ari awards Tucson a $20,000 check as a birthday gift, later reduced to $10,000, then with further strings attached ([24:16]; [27:23]).
  • The money was to be spent on a car, and eventually, Tucson never received any payout.
    • “Now you telling me I have to spend the 10 on a car... the car that I want is a hundred thousand dollars. ...they were giving me $10,000 to put down a down payment.” ([30:21])

• Unpaid Cooking Show Earnings:

  • Tucson reveals he was promised, but never received, payment for highly successful YouTube cooking shows with Ari.
    • “Every video I'm in [has] over a million views... I never got paid from that up to date.” ([28:00])

GoFundMe and Internet Backlash

• GoFundMe Explained:
  • Started as a petty response to not being paid, but money was returned to donors – “It was just like a thing of awareness.” ([63:15])

Addressing the Rumors

Drug Rumors

• Funky rumors about Tucson using cocaine grew after his weight loss, which he dispels with candor.
  • “No, ...I’ve never did coke. ...all my real friends know... I've always been scared to try coke.” ([40:16])
• Weight loss was due to heartbreak and stress, not drugs.
  • “They said no. Yes. I was not eating. I was just...I was going through a breakup and a breakup.” ([43:53])

Internet Influence and Losing Followers

• Tucson lost around 60,000 followers during the drama but still has high engagement.
  • “The following... was lost, but the engagement. Y' all still watch.” ([33:23])

Healing, Music, and Moving Forward

Coping Post-Friendship Breakup

• Finding Outlets: Gym, music, and self-care helped him get through heartbreak and public fallout.
  • “I was crying...my friend Deja...called me...‘Put all that in the gym.’ ...That really, I think, is what saved me.” ([44:08])

New Projects & Announcements

• EP & Upcoming Show
  • New music EP: Pages in My Diary – reflects on friendship breakdown and personal growth ([46:55]).
  • Exclusive: Acoustic “Storytime with Tucson Live” show with a live band and poets, set for October 1st ([48:03]).

Rapid-Fire Personal Moments & Quotes

• On Atlanta vs. Detroit: “Detroit is home...but Atlanta is home.” ([05:54])
• On Rumors: “If you see my eyes low, y'all, I probably just had a little... little drunk. ...Like, damn.” ([43:06])
• On Style Influences: Tay (Arrogante), Reality, and an ex-boyfriend ([55:23])
• On Being Misunderstood: “They tried to paint me out to be a bad person.” ([68:26])
• On Comeback: “Who said Tucson fell off? ...The contract's still coming in. Work still on the way. New drop with the rare smoke.” ([50:43])

Important Timestamps

• Tucson’s Rise & Impact ATL: 03:18–07:07
• Reality TV Manipulation Discussed: 07:39–09:37
• Ari Drama, The Spit Incident: 12:22–18:30
• $20K Check & Payment Dispute: 23:01–33:08
• Friendship Breakup & GoFundMe: 35:09–63:23
• Drug Rumors/Weight Loss: 40:16–44:08
• New Music & Show Announcement: 46:05–50:11
• Addressing Fashion & Style: 54:10–56:38
• Wrap-up & Tucson Addressing Internet Perception: 59:05–69:00

Final Reflections

Tucson’s side is messy, entertaining, and brutally honest, peppered with Atlanta/Detroit flavor and reality TV tea. The episode is a must for anyone following the fallout with Ari, fans of Impact ATL, or those interested in the human cost of viral fame. Tucson is clear: he’s not defined by drama, and despite losing friends and followers, he’s focused, healing, and hustling—as ever.

Notable Outro Quote:

"If you ever say, oh, we don't see Tucson: just go to my page. You'll see me... You’ll be back, and you still watch." – Tucson ([51:21])

Find Tucson: Instagram, TikTok, and other socials – search “Tucson”
Jamila & Mecca: Subscribe to Unhinged & Immoral for new episodes every Thursday.
Support: Patreon for exclusives and extras.