Love Island USA season 7 winners Bryan Arenales and Amaya Espinal agreed to split the $100,000 prize — but what are their plans for the money?
After winning the Sunday, July 13, finale of the hit Peacock series, Amaya and Bryan spoke to host Ariana Madix about how they will spend their earnings.
“I do want to donate to a charity. I want to give back to a community — that’s one of my biggest passions,” Amaya shared. “I want to make a positive impact on a group of people who are in need.”
Bryan, meanwhile, noted that he wanted to “invest the money” in addition to helping with mental health awareness.
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“It is extremely important to me. I went through it when I was younger,” he added. “I definitely want to help little kids face their emotions.”
Love Island originally premiered in the U.K. in 2002 before it expanded worldwide with various spinoffs, including Love Island USA on Peacock. The series follows a different group of singles every season who have to pair off in order to stay in the show’s luxury villa.
The contestants — referred to as Islanders — live in isolation and are under constant video surveillance. They must be coupled up to remain on the show and stand a chance at receiving the $100,000 prize.
After a summer of ups and downs, Sunday’s finale crowned Amaya and Bryan the winners, while Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen were the runners-up. Chris Seeley and Huda Mustafa got third place despite breaking up one day before the finale, and Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia placed fourth.
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Many of the dumped Islanders from this season of Love Island USA showed their support for Amaya and Bryan before their big win.
“I think that Amaya and Bryan are gonna win, to be honest,” TJ Palma exclusively told Us Weekly. “But looking at it as a connection [and who has] been through a lot and the longest — it’s Ace [Greene] and Chelley [Bissainthe]. I don’t think they’re gonna win, but I feel they’ve been through a lot. They’ve been on and off since the beginning, and that just makes the most sense to me. But I do think Amaya and Bryan are gonna win. I support all of the couples, but I think Amaya and Bryan will probably take it home.”
Andreina Santos, who was Bryan’s former connection before she was voted out of the villa, weighed in on his connection with Amaya, adding, “I love Amaya and I think she deserves a good man. I’m not there anymore, so I don’t know if it’s actually genuine and the potential that they have as a couple, but I just hope that he’s treating my girl right — better than he treated me.”
Love Island USA is currently streaming on Peacock.
