"Love & Hip Hop" star Kimbella Vanderhee tells TMZ, Erica Mena wasn't edited to look like the bad guy during their massive hair-pulling cat fight in this week's episode -- Erica WAS the bad guy ... and VH1 just showed her for who she truly is.

As we first reported, Erica claims VH1 editors clipped the show to make her look like the villain -- when she appeared to unleash an unprovoked verbal attack on Kimbella, accusing her of cheapening the video vixen industry by agreeing to work for pennies.

Kimbella flipped, throwing a glass at Erica ... and the fight blew up from there. You've all seen the fight footage ... it's awesome.



But now, Kimbella's coming to the defense of VH1 -- claiming producers didn't misrepresent Erica on the show ... the fight happened exactly the way everyone saw it on television.

Kimbella tells us, "VH1 didn't do editing on anything with [Erica]. That's who she is" -- insisting she's using the fight for publicity ... to boost her struggling career.

But Erica's unfazed -- telling us, "I wish her well and much success in 2012. Have a happy new year!" Still no word from VH1.

"Love & Hip Hop" star Erica Mena tells TMZ, the vicious, glass-smashing, hair-pulling cat fight between her and Kimbella Vanderhee has torpedoed her modeling career -- and it's all VH1's fault.

In case you missed this week's episode, Kimbella throws a champagne glass at Erica -- after Erica accuses her of cheapening the video vixen industry by agreeing to work for a pittance. Erica responds by grabbing Kimbella's hair and ... just watch the clip.

But the 24-year-old tells us, she was completely misrepresented in the episode -- blaming show editors for unfairly portraying her as the bad guy ... and Kimbella as an angel.

Erica tells us, "My whole image in my career is now affected by this. I wanted them to pull this clip because I don’t want to show this side of me." Clearly, VH1 refused.

Calls to the network have not been returned.

Security has been completely revamped on the set of "Love & Hip Hop" -- including a total ban on all glass and metal silverware -- after several bloody, face-stomping, weave-pulling fights among cast members.

Fabolous' baby mama Emily Bustamante tells TMZ, the massive blowout between Jim Jones' fiancee Chrissy Lampkin and Juelz Santana's lady Kimbella Vanderhee during Monday's episode was the final straw (watch below).



We're told producers are fed up with all the injuries on set from girl-on-girl violence -- the bloodshed, the stitches -- and have decided to institute an all-plastic policy while camera are rolling ... plastic cups, plastic knives, plastic everything.

But it doesn't end there -- we're told each cast member will now be accompanied by a personal body guard wherever he or she goes.

A rep for VH1 had no comment.