Ruthless is an American drama series created, executive produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. The series is produced under Perry's overall deal with Viacom/CBS. It is a spin-off from the BET drama The Oval. The first season of 24-episodes premiered on March 19, 2020, on BET+. Starting on February 23, 2021, the show began airing on BET following new episodes of The Oval. Season 2 premiered on March 11, 2021. Season 3 premiered on March 10, 2022. The show has attracted a cult following. Season 4 premiered on April 20, 2023.

Plot

In a backdoor pilot during the first three episodes of The Oval, Ruth Truesdale (Melissa L. Williams) kidnaps her daughter Callie to join her and the sex-crazed members of the Rakudushis cult. Ruth is a devoted member of the Rakudushi cult. After helping to severely punish her rebellious, best friend Tally, she becomes an "Elder," a high-ranking member of the cult. However, in order to be initiated into the position of Elder, she was required to be gang-raped by seven high-ranking cult members, including Andrew and Dikhan, in the presence of The Highest. After being gang-raped, Ruth no longer wants to be a member of the cult and began planning an escape, along with her best friend, Tally.