It turns out that the Love Island USA islanders are just as in the dark as viewers when a cast member is unexpectedly kicked off.
Deb Chubb, a finalist on season 4 of Love Island USA in 2022, fielded fan questions about hasty on-air departures via TikTok on Friday, June 6.
“When someone ‘mysteriously disappears’ off our screens, do they tell the islanders?” a social media user asked via TikTok comment. “Do they tell the islanders what [really] happened?”
Deb, 29, responded in a follow-up video, claiming that she was never informed about the reasons behind unexpected show exits. (After Deb recoupled with Kyle Fraser during the Casa Amor twist, he was quickly removed over unfounded misconduct allegations that he never publicly addressed. Show hosts, instead, said that Kyle left for “personal reasons.”)
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“The producers do not tell you why,” Deb said. “The person just literally [and] mysteriously disappears. You know, in past seasons, if somebody wants to leave on their own accord, they sit everybody down at the firepit. They say, ‘I’m leaving. This is my last night’ [and] they have a big speech.”
She added, “If they don’t do that, it means that something came out in real time, and that’s why that person had to leave.”
Deb further recalled that after Kyle, now 32, was removed, he “was just not there” anymore.
@debchubb Replying to @user18452940
“To me, that was the biggest blessing ever because I didn’t want to have to deal with that,” she said. “I obviously knew that I really wanted to be with Jesse [Bray], but I didn’t find out until we were at the reunion … what had happened.”
According to Deb, she was initially told that Kyle “had to leave for personal reasons” without further explanation.
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“When it happened to me, I knew it was for something bad,” Deb speculated. “If it wasn’t for something bad, then he would have sat us all down.”
During the most recent season, Yulissa Escobar was similarly removed from the villa without word or warning after racist comments she made resurfaced. Show narrator Iain Stirling simply noted that Yulissa, 27, had to leave, but didn’t give a reason why. She has since apologized for her past remarks.
“First, I want to apologize for using a word I had no right using,” Yulissa wrote in a social media statement. “Podcast clips from years ago have recently resurfaced, and I want to address it directly. In those clips, I used a word I never should’ve used, a racial slur. I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it. I wasn’t trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn’t excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It’s tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use.”
She added, “The truth is, I didn’t know better then, but I do now. I’ve taken the time to reflect, to learn, and to grow from that moment. I’ve changed a lot since then, not just in how I speak, but in how I show up, how I carry myself, and how I honor the experiences of others. Growth means recognizing when you were wrong, even if it’s uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and accountability.”
New episodes of Love Island USA will be released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.
