Love Island USA’s Cierra Ortega left the villa amid her offscreen racism scandal.
During the Sunday, July 6, episode of the Peacock series, narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that Cierra “left the villa due to a personal situation” and noted that she left Nic Vansteenberghe “officially single.” Nic subsequently shared a conversation with Ace Greene about how he wasn’t sure what he would do next — just one week before the season ends.
Cierra’s exit comes after a racist post from her social media resurfaced while she was filming in Fiji. Islanders are sequestered while on Love Island USA and in order to keep them focused on finding a match and they have no contact with the outside world until they officially leave, which is when they retrieve their phones and catch up on how the public reacted to their time on the show.
This isn’t the first shocking departure from season 7. Yulissa Escobar was introduced as an OG Islander but by the second episode, she was gone. Iain later acknowledged the shakeup when he noted that Ace was single because Yulissa “has left the villa.”
Who Runs ‘Love Island USA’ Stars’ Social Media While They’re in the Villa?
Yulissa’s departure came after clips of her using racial slurs on a podcast circulated online. Earlier this month, Yulissa revealed she was removed from the villa.
“I had gotten called to the front and then I met one of the producers and they asked me to take my mic off,” she explained in a July TikTok. “I figured something serious was kind of happening. I honestly got scared. I thought something happened with a family member. They didn’t really tell me anything. They just said that a video resurfaced on the internet and it’s not looking too good. I didn’t really know what video or what I was saying or what I did.”
She continued: “I didn’t get my phone back for another two days. They were waiting for the two episodes that I was in to air. I was literally in my hotel room losing my mind because I didn’t know what was going on. I just knew that there was a video out there. I get it. I said a word that I should have not said. But I wish I would have never said that. It is what it is. I can’t go back in time. I am sorry that I said that word.”
Love Island’s Most Controversial Contestants and Moments Through the Years
Austin Shepard was another contestant who sparked controversy via social media activity that viewers noticed after he was cast on the show.
“I want to take a moment to address my recent repost that has caused offense to some of you,” Austin wrote via his Instagram Stories on Saturday, July 5. “As you all know, I have a very dry sense of humor, and I genuinely didn’t think before sharing that content.”
He added, “It was never my intention to hurt or upset anyone. I value and respect all individuals and their perspectives.”
New episodes of Love Island USA will be released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.
