‘The Neighborhood’: Reality TV Star Mercedes Gives Malcolm Butler a Bad First Impression (VIDEO)

Brittany Sims November 14, 2025, 12:31 pm

What To Know

Reality TV star Mercedes, played by Amber Stevens West, joins The Neighborhood as a new character who hires Malcolm Butler to ghostwrite her romance novel.
In their first meeting, Mercedes leaves Malcolm with a bad first impression due to her diva-like behavior and dismissive remarks toward both Malcolm and her assistant.
The episode, airing November 17, also features a subplot where Calvin receives an unexpected honor, and Mercedes’ viral outburst complicates Malcolm’s ghostwriting job.

The Neighborhood is getting a new character with Mercedes, a reality TV star, who is having Malcolm Butler ghostwrite her romance novel. In TV Insiders’ exclusive clip the two meet for the first time, and she leaves him with a bad first impression.

Mercedes (Amber Stevens West) is a star in Trophy Divas of Brentwood (the show’s version of Real Housewives). In the episode “Welcome to the Walk of Roses,” airing November 17, she meets Malcolm (Sheaun McKinney) for the first time in her restaurant, The Forq.

The episode logline reads, “Calvin receives an unexpected honor that sparks mixed emotions, while Malcolm’s ghostwriting gig takes a wild turn after a viral outburst from his celebrity client.”

“Malcolm Butler, we meet at last,” Mercedes said, walking into the restaurant with her assistant. “Am I late? Are we late?”

“Only 45 minutes,” Butler replied, looking at his watch.

“Oh, great. I was afraid I was keeping you waiting,” she said, handing her purse to her assistant. Butler’s smile fell from his lips.

With only two chairs at the table, he offered to get Mercedes’ assistant a chair. However, Mercedes said no. “She’s not hungry. She ate yesterday,” she said.

Mercedes then called a waiter named Bernard over to ask him why he sat them in the middle of the restaurant. “Am I the owner or the entertainment?” she asked.

Butler clarified that Bernard told him to sit anywhere, so that’s where he sat. “We can just move. It’s fine,” he said.

“OH! We can move? In the restaurant I own? Thank you for mansplaining,” Mercedes replied. She sat down, and Butler apologized.

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“I know you are a very busy woman. I just got turned around by the notes on Brown Sugar Nights,” Butler explained. “Like when you said the book should be aspirational-.”

“I never said it should be aspirational,” Mercedes said.

“Well, your people did,” Butler explained.

“What did they mean by that?” the reality TV star wanted to know.

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m here,” he explained.

See how the scene plays out on The Neighborhood on Monday, November 17, on CBS, as the sitcom airs its last season. West has a recurring role in the season, so this won’t be the last time fans see her.

Plus, see photos from Monday’s episode below.