Belle-A Walker is saying her piece after Cierra Ortega‘s Love Island USA exit.
After narrator Iain Stirling announced that Cierra had left the show amid a “personal situation” during the July 6 episode of the Peacock series, Bell-A spoke out about the alleged social media posts (which E! News has not authenticated) that recently resurfaced of Cierra using a racial slur for Asian people.
“As a proud Asian American woman, I’m deeply appreciative of the Love Island USA producers for taking a stand and making it clear that racism of any kind is not tolerated,” Belle-A wrote on her Instagram Stories July 6. “When I first saw what my fellow Islander said on their social media pages, I was incredibly heartbroken. But I wanted to wait until they left the villa and were able to address the situation, genuinely apologize, and commit to learning from the experience before deciding how our relationship would look moving forward.”
The 22-year-old, who was the first Islander officially dumped from the Love Island USA villa on the June 8 episode, continued to explain why her mentality on the situation shifted.
“As screenshots continued to surface, it became clear that I could no longer support this person, and made the decision to unfollow them a couple of days ago,” she said. “Asian hate is oftentimes overlooked and dismissed. But being a first-generation American, I have personally witnessed and experienced how real and hurtful comments like these are.”
“It is my hope that this situation can help shed light on how big of an issue anti-Asian hate actually is,” Bell-A went on. “Just like so many other Asian Americans, my mom immigrated here to create a better life for her and her future family. Knowing the hardships she and so many others have faced, I could not be silent any longer. Because what good is this amazing platform God and you all have given me if I don’t use it to amplify the voices of my community?”
She ended her statement by urging viewers not to direct more hate Cierra’s way.
“I do not condone bigotry or racism of any kind,” Belle-A finished. “But I also don’t condone hate either. Please think twice before leaving unkind comments to or about this person.”
E! News has reached out to Peacock and Cierra for comment but has not yet heard back.
After news broke of Cierra’s exit, her parents also issued a statement addressing the controversy surrounding their daughter.
“We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced,” they wrote in a message shared to Cierra’s Instagram Story July 6. “We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now has gone far beyond that.”
“The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it’s heartbreaking,” they continued. “It’s uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made.”
Cierra’s parents shared that she had not yet returned home from Fiji, where Love Island USA films, but they were sure that “she’ll face this with honesty, growth, and grace.”
“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,” they said. “Until then, we’re simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency. Not just for her, but for everyone caught in the middle of this.”
Keep reading for more on the Love Island USA season 7 cast…
(E! News 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
