Love Island USA viewers are finally getting more insight into what the other Islanders were told about Cierra Ortega’s exit following her offscreen racism scandal.
During a TikTok live on Tuesday, July 8, which was recorded and shared by fans on social media, Zak Srakaew revealed how the cast learned Cierra was no longer in the villa.
“When Cierra left, the producers gathered us all together,” he recalled. “They said, ‘Unfortunately, Cierra has broken some of the policies and our guidelines and she will no longer be here in the villa. That is the only information we can give you guys.’”
Zak noted that they had a basic understanding of the reasons behind her departure.
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“So when we were all in there, we didn’t really know what was going on,” he said. “But that is all they said to us. And if we needed someone to speak to, we can speak to them.”
Zak added that Cierra’s partner on the show, Nic Vansteenberghe, took it the hardest — but he was also hesitant on how to react.
“Nic was really upset that she left, but at the same time, he couldn’t really be super upset or he couldn’t express how he felt about the situation until he found out what she had done or said,” Zak explained. “At the end of the day, as much as you want to feel sorry for somebody, if you know they got removed from a show for saying something offensive, you can’t really feel sorry for them until you know what it is.”
When season 7 of Love Island USA began airing daily in June, Nic had a brief romance with Belle-A Walker before turning his sights to Cierra. Nic and Cierra explored their connection for the next four weeks in the villa until narrator Iain Stirling revealed on the Sunday, July 6, episode that she “left the villa due to a personal situation.”
“I don’t really know. I think now that my strongest connection has gone, I will figure it out from here,” Nic explained to the guys on screen. “I was not expecting this.”
In a confessional, Nic elaborated on this state of mind. “Right before Cierra had left, my mind was clear,” he noted. “I knew what the future would look like. And now I’m lost.”
Cierra’s exit came after a resurfaced post from her social media showed her using a racial slur. Following offscreen backlash, Cierra abruptly left Fiji. A similar situation occurred with Yulissa Escobar, who was the first Islander removed from the villa after clips of her using racial slurs on a podcast circulated online earlier in the season.
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While Cierra was still without her phone after filming, her parents addressed the scandal via social media.
“This has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives. 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,” read an Instagram Story uploaded on Sunday. “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters.”
Cierra’s loved ones addressed the intense reactions from Love Island USA viewers. “What’s happening online right now has gone far beyond [accountability]. The threats. The cruel messages,” the post continued. “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 statement concluded with a reminder that Cierra “hasn’t had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself,” noting, “But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she’ll face this with honesty, growth and grace.”
Meanwhile, in the villa, Nic chose to revisit his connection with Olandria Carthen.
“It is bittersweet. I was kind of really excited to feel closed off with somebody,” Nic admitted on the Monday, July 7, episode. “It took a lot for me to get to that point, but it was just not meant to be.”
New episodes of Love Island USA will be released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.
