Cierra Ortega exits 'Love Island USA' days before finale amid racism backlash
The Peacock reality series announced a week before the Season 7 finale that Ortega, 25, had left due to a "personal" situation, leaving fellow contestant Nic Vansteenberghe officially single. But online, viewers had resurfaced multiple posts of Ortega using a racist slur against Asian people, including one as recently as 2023, according to People.
USA TODAY has reached out to Peacock for comment.
Early the night of Sunday, July 6, Ortega's parents released a statement on her Instagram stories on her behalf, noting Ortega and her loved ones have been threatened and sent "cruel messages."
"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," the statement read. "We're not here to justify or ignore what's surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters."
When is the finale of 'Love Island USA' Season 7?
The post continued: "The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it's heartbreaking. It's uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they've made."
"Love Island" contestants do not have contact with the outside world while on the series, including access to their phones. Ortega's parents said that though she has left the villa, she has not returned home yet.
"She hasn't had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she'll face this with honesty, growth, and grace," the post continued.
'Love Island USA' star Yulissa Escobar apologizes after sudden exit over racial slur
Ortega's exit comes weeks after another contestant, Yulissa Escobar, was abruptly ousted from the villa, similarly with little explanation from Season 7 producers. Fans of the show were in an uproar over resurfaced clips of her using a racial epithet on a podcast. She apologized days after the video surfaced, saying at the time she didn't fully understand "the weight, history, or pain behind it."
Contributing: Anna Kaufman and KiMi Robinson
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