Hours after Cierra Ortega’s shock Love Island USA exit was aired, her parents broke their silence about the controversy that sent her packing.
Taking to their daughter’s Instagram Stories in the late hours of Sunday, July 6, “Cierra’s parents” shared a lengthy post that addressed the resurfaced racist post that resulted in Cierra leaving the villa.
“As Cierra’s parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives,” the post began. “We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasn’t seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who love her.”
The post, written in white text against a black background, continued, “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters.”
Cierra’s Team Addressed Racist Post Before Her ‘Love Island USA’ Exit
The message then showed support for Cierra, underscoring the online criticism the post attracted in the week leading up to Sunday’s episode and in the episode’s aftermath. “What’s happening online right now has gone far beyond [accountability],” the post continued. “The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it’s heartbreaking. It’s uncalled for. No one deserves that kind of hate.”
The post also pointed out that while Cierra is no longer on the show, she is still away from home and yet to absorb the criticism her post has received. “She hasn’t had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself,” the post continued. “But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she’ll face this with honesty, growth and grace.”
It concluded with a request for compassion towards Cierra. “For patience. For basic human decency. Not just for her, but for everyone caught in the middle of this,” the post read. “With love, Her family.”
During Sunday night’s episode, narrator Iain Stirling announced that Cierra “left the villa due to a personal situation,” which in turn left partner Nic Vansteenbergghe single.
In the weeks leading up to the episode, multiple social media users spotted Cierra’s controversial past post, which included a racially offensive slur. Once the post spread on social media, Cierra’s friend MJ Hedderman addressed the resurfacing via Cierra’s Instagram account.
“Hi guys, I see your comments concerning someone I love and care about. I want to be clear that I do not condone racism, bigotry or hate in any way shape or form, nor was I aware of the recent screenshots until they were posted,” MJ’s Instagram Story from Friday, July 4, read. “I discovered it at the same time as all of you did.”
In addition to MJ’s response, Cierra’s other friend Johnnie Olivia also took it upon herself to address her friend’s old post. “I’m sure many of you have noticed that I’ve refrained from talking about Love Island and have stopped publicly supporting my friend on the show. This was after I saw a post involving a racial slur for the first time,” Johnnie wrote via an Instagram statement released on Friday. “I loved supporting her during her time on the show, but once I came across that post, I felt it was necessary to take a step back.”
As for action on the Island, Sunday’s episode showed that in Cierra’s absence, Nic rekindled his connection with Olandria Carthen and they ended up recoupling ahead of the season’s final week.
New episodes of Love Island USA will be released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.
