Less than a week before the finale, Love Island USA dropped another bombshell.
Indeed, on the July 6 episode of the Peacock series, narrator Iain Stirling, informed viewers that contestant Cierra Ortega had “left the villa due to personal reasons.”
Her sudden departure came amid growing backlash following the resurfacing of an alleged Instagram Story—which E! News has not independently verified—where she used a racial slur. While noting Cierra, 25, was unable to comment as she was still in Fiji, where Love Island USA is filmed, her parents addressed the ongoing controversy.
“We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now has gone far beyond that,” they wrote on Cierra’s Instagram July 6. “While she’ll always be our little girl, she’s also a woman, one who will take responsibility in her own time and her own voice. Until then we’re simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency.”
Fellow islander, Belle-A Walker, also spoke out, expressing that she was “heartbroken” by Cierra’s alleged use of a slur for Asian people. While reflecting on her experience as an Asian American woman, she also cautioned followers from adding to the vitriol being aimed at Cierra, adding, “I do not condone bigoty or racism of any kind. But I also don’t condone hate either.”
Cierra isn’t the first Love Island USA season seven contestant to have left the villa for alleged racist behavior, with Yulissa Escobar exiting back in episode two after videos of her using the N-word were discovered.
The 27-year-old has since broken her silence, detailing her experience learning she was being removed from the show. “Basically, I had gotten called to the front, so I was like okay maybe it’s a confessional,” she said in a July 3 TikTok. “And then I met one of the producers and they asked me to take my mic off. I kind of figured something serious was happening.”
Yulissa then explained what it was like seeing the social media firestorm, noting “When I got my phone back, I was like holy s–t. And it was a lot. A lot to take in. “I get it I said a word I should have not said but man I wish I would have never said that.”
E! News reached out to Peacock regarding Yulissa and Cierra’s respective departures at the time but did not hear back.
Another season seven islander confronting racism allegations is Austin Shepard, who denied any suggestion of racist behavior the day after being voted out.
“I’m going to give this attention only one time because this is crazy,” the 26-year-old told fans in a July 4 video on his Instagram Story. “I have a Black woman tatted on my side. Use your head.”
Keep reading to learn more about this season’s Love Island USA contestants…
(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Bryan Arenales
Boston, Massachusetts
Elan Bibas
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Courtney “CoCo” Watson
Los Angeles, California
Clarke Carraway
Columbia, South Carolina
Chris Seeley
Fresno, California
Zak Srakaew
Roi Et, Thailand
Zac Woodworth
Portland, Utah
JD Dodard
Dallas, Texas
Jaden Duggar
Los Angeles, California
Gracyn Blackmore
Bristol, Virginia
Savanna “Vanna” Einerson
Salt Lake City, Utah
Andreina Santos
Thomas John “TJ” Palma
Pleasantville, New York
Belle-A Walker
Honolulu, Hawaii
Austin Shepard
Northville, Michigan
Ace Greene
Los Angeles, California
Chelley Bissainthe
Orlando, Florida
Huda Mustafa
Raleigh, North Carolina
Nicolas Vansteenberghe
Jacksonville, Florida
Jeremiah Brown
Los Angeles, California
Olandria Carthen
Decatur, Alabama
Yulissa Escobar
Miami, Florida
Taylor Williams
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Cierra Ortega
Phoenix, Arizona
Charlie Georgiou
Birmingham, United Kingdom
