Exposed (Book 1)

11. EXPOSED - Meli Fall Out & Dubai

EXPOSED: THE MELI FALL OUT

By now, everyone should know that Marquilla and Reli Lowell go back. And when we say back, we mean way back as in diapers and pacifiers. The friends grew up in Nashville together, which we've definitely mentioned before, and their families even headed out to LA at the same time so their daughters could be in the industry together. Cute, right?

Both girls kick started their careers with commercials for diapers, juices, and other things we can't think of at the moment; this is typical for most child starts starting out. It only makes sense that they booked Marney at the same time. Who knew Marquilla could actually be adorable at eight?

Of course people don't remember Reli as that pudgy kid with glasses in Marney or Marquilla as that other Latina in the show. They're more known for their roles on the Winsey Channel and their relationships with the Bohous Brothers. Oh, and singing (more Reli than Marquie). The quintet have been unstoppable while they were on Winsey together—let's not forget Lae since Cali Raleigh aired during their era and she also dated Nils—but it's Marquilla and Reli's friendship that trumped the group if you don't count the relationship drama. We're going to skip that because as interesting as that is, that drama isn't what this post is about.

Marquilla and Reli haven't had a major fight until a few months ago because the girls are that close and there's nothing that can break the Meli friendship. Okay, that's an obvious lie. There is on thing that can distance Reli from Marquilla. "What is that one thing?" you're probably wondering. A little white substance called cocaine (you might have heard about it) and a drinkable, chemical bond called alcohol.

It's not too surprising if you think about it. The Winsey gang experimented with drugs together, but it never became too out of hand. By the way, this was mostly Nils, Marquie, Reli, and Josh; they were like their own rebellious group at the time. However, the girls are the ones who would soon develop problems.

One of our sources knew Marquilla's PA at the time and according to to her, the signs of an addict sparked from the beginning. Two years ago, Reli was admitted into rehab after pulling out of a tour with the Bo Bros due to an eating disorder and trying to overdose on drugs. This was all over the media at the time, so we feel like we don't need to reiterate exactly what happened, but we might as well for those of you who were too young to know how serious it was at the time.

Reli was a chubby kid growing up, so when she made a name for herself alongside the Bo Bros in the movie Rock and Roll High, she knew she had to watch her weight. Being besties with Marquilla only added to the pressure since our favorite schemer definitely wasn't chubby or anywhere near being close to "fat" in her early teens. As a result, Reli started going on hardcore diets to prevent herself from gaining too much weight. And like a good best friend, Marquilla helped Reli combat her image issue by dieting and exercising with her. Think Manny Santos and Emma Nelson in Degrassi when Manny desperately wanted to fit back into a certain pair of jeans for an audition because her thighs were "an epidemic."

When one girl quit the extreme diet—Manny in the show, Marquilla in real life—the other one kept going. Just like Emma, Reli developed an eating disorder and nearly died from it. But the order wasn't the only issue. Like we said before, she checked into rehab for more than her ED.

Marquilla introduced Reli into the lovely world of cocaine and alcohol at the same time, convincing her bestie that they'd help her lose weight. An insider of ours informed us that it was Marquilla who lead the drug expeditions and offered it to Reli and the boys. Nils and Josh dabbled in it a little bit before giving up, but Reli was convinced that the cocaine was what she needed. Marquilla is such a great friend, isn't she?