Entertainment

The 'Little Women: LA' Cast Has Changed A Lot Since Season 1, But They're Better Than Ever

There was only about six months in between the finale of Season 1 of Little Women: LA and the premiere of Season 2 on Lifetime, but man, have these ladies changed. Between all the babies, breakups, and burlesque routines, you almost want to ask yourself, "Who are these women, and what has Lifetime done with my Season 1 Little Women: LA cast?"

But seriously, the cast of Little Women: LA hasn't changed so much as it has grown to encompass stronger women who are even more confident about going after what they want. They're doing that all while still throwing shade and confronting those that hurl it at them. Well, it's comforting to know that some things never change.

Take a look at how each member of the Little Women: LA cast has evolved from Season 1 to 2, and see why it just keeps getting better and better to watch these ladies.

Image: Richard Knapp/Lifetime

by Laura Rosenfeld

Terra Jole — Season 1

As one of the executive producers of the show, we can thank Terra for making Little Women: LA happen. Accordingly, she was the clear leader of the pack from Day One, always organizing get-togethers of varying success. While Terra definitely had her friends (serving as the maid of honor for Traci’s wedding and being the “homie from another gnomie” to Tonya), she also had her fair share of fights with Christy and Elena. Amid all the drama, Terra was most focused on advancing her career as an entertainer by breaking out of her role as a celebrity impersonator and into the music biz with her first single “Booty Bee.” All season long, things didn’t look great for Terra and her boyfriend Joe Gnoffo, who never really seemed to be on the same page. Though they ended the season on good terms, it was unclear how long the couple would actually last.

Image: Zach Dilgard/Lifetime

Terra Jole — Season 2

We’re only three episodes in to Season 2, and already Terra has won it by stealing the spotlight from everyone else. Terra is the lucky lady who is pregnant, which is making her castmates with babies on the brain, like Traci and Christy, very jealous. Unfortunately, just when Terra’s career was heating up, she had to cool it down a bit. Perhaps motherhood has calmed Terra too, because she hasn’t been fighting with the usual suspects as much as she used to. Elena is even her bestie now. As for her relationship with Joe, it seems to be in a good place, and he’s been supportive so far. Let’s hope Terra keeps up this Kumbaya attitude once the baby is born. She’s going to need it.

Image: Zach Dilgard/Lifetime

Christy McGinity — Season 1

We all knew Christy was trouble when she walked in. This loud and sassy lady knows what she wants and goes for it, whether that means stopping at nothing to prove to Terra that she didn’t break her sobriety or prodding her then-boyfriend Todd Gibel so much that he actually proposed. The two got married at the end of Season 1, and it seemed likely that the couple would be starting a family soon thereafter.

Image: Zach Dilgard/Lifetime

Christy McGinity Gibel — Season 2

Now that they’re finally married, Christy and Todd are trying as hard as ever to start a family, and they’re unfortunately not too shy to let us know it. However, Christy seems to have mellowed a bit since Season 1. She’s not fighting with Terra, at least in public. She made up with Elena, with whom she had a bit of a falling out with in between Season 1 and Season 2. She’s consoling Briana as she deals with raising her daughter by herself. What gives? Either this is just the calm before the storm or Christy really has changed.

Image: Zach Dilgard/Lifetime

Elena Gant — Season 1

Elena was at first the outcast on Little Women: LA, because the ladies thought she didn’t experience the same hardships they went through while growing up with dwarfism. However, once Elena opened up to the other women about the two years of her childhood she spent strapped to a hospital bed, she gradually became a part of the group. But that doesn’t mean everyone loved Elena. There was a big rivalry between her and her fellow blonde celebrity impersonator Terra, which was only made worse when Elena almost backed out of twerking in Terra’s music video. She even almost got into a knock-down, drag-out fight with Tonya when she said some things to her ex she probably shouldn’t have. But in the end, Elena’s husband Preston was really on her mind, specifically in the baby-making department. It seemed like Elena was ready to move forward on starting a family with her husband and put her desire to get breast implants on hold… for now.

Image: Zach Dilgard/Lifetime

Elena Gant — Season 2

Well, it looks like the breast implants may have won out after all. The preview clip of Season 2 of Little Women: LA shows Elena going under the knife for some procedure, which could possibly have something to do with the plastic surgery she's been considering. At the beginning of Season 2, Elena had a change of heart and decided to not have children with Preston right now in order to focus more on her career. Elena tried out burlesque as part of that career development, but after seeing one of her fellow dancers get all up in Preston’s grill, she’s not a fan of this type of performance anymore. Maybe she and Terra can whip up a routine together now that they’re eerily so close.

Image: Richard Knapp/Lifetime

Tonya Banks — Season 1

Tonya was all about looking for love in Season 1, and she may have even found it. She met Trevor at a speed dating event, and the two seemed to hit it off. Trevor fit right in with the group, too. Well, when he wasn’t staring at other ladies’ booties on the “Booty Bee” music video set. There was a moment when it looked like Tonya might get back together with her ex, who also happens to be the father of her daughter, but Tonya chose Trevor, even if Elena did meddle in her business.

Image: Zach Dilgard/Lifetime

Tonya Banks — Season 2

This “L’il Boss” came back with a vengeance in Season 2. After hearing that Trevor may have been flirxting (flirt texting) with Briana, Tonya had an explosive lunch with him at her house in front of his mother and all. Thinking that Trevor was up to no good, Tonya called it off. So now she is single and ready to mingle once more. I’m glad she broke up with that no-good Trevor, who she never really seemed that into anyway, but I’m sad we never actually got to know the real pronunciation of his name.

Image: Richard Knapp/Lifetime

Briana Manson — Season 1

Out of all of the cast members, I immediately had the most sympathy for Briana. It seemed like she was really going through a difficult time, what with being divorced and raising her young daughter Leiana, who is also a little person. Every time she was on screen with her ex, it was bitter city, especially when she found out his new lady friend had been around Leiana without her permission. I just wanted Briana to find happiness so badly.

Image: Zach Dilgard/Lifetime

Briana Manson — Season 2

Unfortunately, Season 2 didn’t start out great for Briana either. When she didn’t show up to Traci’s wedding and had a seemingly lame excuse for not attending, everyone, except for Christy, ganged up on her. She also struggled with seeing her daughter get bullied at school for being a little person. Luckily, it sounds like things will be looking up for Briana in the coming weeks of Little Women: LA. The preview for Tuesday night’s episode shows that she’s met someone and may even be (gasp!) falling in love, understandably lifting her spirits a bit. Let’s hope this actually happens. Girl deserves it.

Image: Richard Knapp/Lifetime

Traci Harrison — Season 1

This self-proclaimed “Jesus freak” waited to sleep with her fiancé Erik until they were married and accordingly, hated talking about anything sexual with her gal pals. Unsurprisingly, there was tons of drama between her and polar opposite Christy. Though the two were once close friends, Christy’s drinking tore them a part, and they hadn’t been able to repair their relationship since. Traci’s main beef with Christy was that she always hogged the spotlight, even announcing her own engagement at a little party meant to celebrate Traci’s upcoming nuptials. With both of them getting married around the same time, the bride war was on. This culminated in Traci uninviting Christy to her wedding.

Image: Zach Dilgard/Lifetime

Traci Harrison Tsou — Season 2

Christy and Traci still aren’t on great terms these days. However, it looks like Traci’s new enemy is her former BFF Terra. Traci is extremely jealous that Terra is pregnant before her when she and Erik have been trying so hard to have a baby. She was also flabbergasted that Terra told Elena about her pregnancy first.

Image: Richard Knapp/Lifetime

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