Ari Fletcher and Jayda Cheaves have each made lanes and names for themselves as some of social media’s biggest “IT Girls” over the past decade — in addition, Fletcher and Cheaves shared another similarity: both were tied to the music industry through their rapper, now-ex-boyfriends, G Herbo and Lil Baby. So when their two paths finally crossed some years back, fans couldn’t be more excited to see the bond they would build. And the trends they’d co-create. But now, fast forward to 2026, and it seems like the friendship flame between Fletcher and Cheaves may forever be blown out. From their early link-ups to their time on ‘The Impact Atlanta’ to Jayda Cheaves’ bombshell claims against Ari Fletcher — here’s a look back at their friendship turned sour.
Before Things Started Going Sour…
According to Ari Fletcher, her and Jayda Cheaves’ paths would come the closest (literally when they allegedly were neighbors back in 2021. In a confessional scene from ‘The Impact Atlanta,’ Fletcher explained that she and Cheaves used to live “literally right next door to each other.”
“So our sons always played with each other — Loyal loves Yosohn. Yosohn loves Loyal,” she explained.
Furthermore, she noted that she and Jayda used to host parties in the club together.
“And then we started working together, like doing shoots together,” she added.
Ari Fletcher Accuses Cheaves Of Giving Her The Cold Shoulder On Season 1 Of ‘Impact ATL’
Despite this, when ‘The Impact Atlanta’ season one launched in 2022, Fletcher explained that things between her and Cheaves were now “weird.”
“Me and Jayda — we have like unresolved issues. It’s like a little tension — a little weirdness. I don’t know exactly like how to describe what it is or why it is something but I don’t want to go to no events or go be around somebody [who] I feel like there’s some animosity,” she told cameras.
Keep scrolling for how things escalated into the claims about Ari Fletcher & Lil Baby!
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Furthermore, cameras captured Fletcher and Cheaves appearing not to interact with one another during promotional shoots for the show.
“It’s been like a weird on and off — like, ‘I f**k with you’ — ‘I don’t f**k with you’… [type of thing],” Fletcher explained.
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Jayda Cheaves Explains Her Perspective On Season 1 Of 'Impact ATL'
In additional clips from the show’s first season, Cheaves acknowledged her and Fletcher’s apparent distance and lack of communication.
“Me and Ari — we’ve known each other for a long time, but I would say, we started getting closer at Tae’s [while] getting our hair done,” Cheaves explained. “So we would just like bond — kind of like ‘mom talk.'”
Nonetheless, Cheaves said that their friendship had its “ups and downs.”
“Because we’re two, like, really dominant females in the same lane — doing the same thing. So it gets a little weird sometimes,” she said.
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Jayda Cheaves And Ari Fletcher Ultimately Spoke About Their "Messy Cycle"
During an episode in season one, captured by a “best moments” clip, Fletcher and Cheaves ultimately sat down to hash things out. Furthermore, Cheaves called things between them “messy” and a “cycle.”
“It’s bad, and I don’t know what it is,” Cheaves told Fletcher. “It shouldn’t be like this.”
Furthermore, Cheaves reflected that when she and Fletcher were “next door neighbors,” they had the internet “in a chokehold.” Ultimately, Fletcher apologized for “hurting” Cheaves’ feelings.
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Jayda Cheaves Doesn't Return For Season 2 Of 'Impact ATL' & Fans Think Ari Fletcher Is Connected To The Reason Why
Despite their apparent reconciliation, Jayda Cheaves ultimately did not return for season two of ‘Impact ATL.’ While appearing on ‘Angela Yee’s Lip Service’ in 2023, Cheaves explained her decision to leave the show. She called it an “experience” but noted that it “wasn’t really for” her.
“And I’m not gonna say it wasn’t for me — that show, specifically, wasn’t for me,” she clarified, adding. “Only because a lot of the scenes we did film didn’t make the show. A lot of things behind the scenes that were going on, I didn’t know about… I was just as surprised as the people watching.”
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Furthermore, Cheaves also noted that “ever since the show” she and Fletcher “just don’t talk.”
“But we never really talked on a regular basis,” Cheaves added. “So it’s like, she’s in her world — I’m in my world. I want her to, like, win.”
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Ari Fletcher Shares Her Disinterest In Rekindling Friendship With Jayda Cheaves
In October 2023, Fletcher made headlines for noting her stance — or apparent disinterest — in patching things up with Cheaves. Per REVOLT, Fletcher noted that she felt Cheaves was put off or unhappy with how well she was received by fans on the show.
“What happened is that I was like the fan-favorite on the show. And I think I went in, like, raw and showing just me. I wasn’t being like, oh, glitz and glam… I was giving, like, deeper things [about] me, and I think she showed more of like, ‘I’m a boss,’ … And it’s like people… they gravitated to me because of how I was, and I think she didn’t like that, and she felt like I had a motive to steal the shine. I don’t know — I think it was just something personal with how she felt, but it’s all love, though. It ain’t no beef or no s**t like that,” Fletcher explained at the time.
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Furthermore, when asked if she wanted to spin the block on their friendship, Fletcher noted, “No, I don’t have a desire to be cool.”
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Fast Foward: Jayda Cheaves Alleges Ari Fletcher Had A Fling With Lil Baby As Clip Resurfaces
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But, for the most part, Fletcher has remained mum. Nonetheless, on Wednesday, January 21, Lil Baby took to his social media to seemingly weigh in on the drama. Ultimately, he appeared to show support for Cheaves.
