Cierra Ortega Breaks Silence After ‘Love Island USA' Exit For Using Racial Slur Online

Forbes

2 days ago

LOVE ISLAND USA — Episode 715 — Pictured: Cierra Ortega — (Photo by: Ben Symons/Peacock via Getty ... More Images)
Cierra Ortega has issued an apology following her removal from Love Island USA Season 7. The former Islander spoke out for the first time on Wednesday, July 9, days after she was kicked off the show following the resurfacing of social media posts that showed her use of a racial slur.
During Episode 30, narrator Iain Stirling announced Ortega's unexpected departure from the villa. 'Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation,' he said. While the show did not offer further explanation at the time, her exit coincided with the resurfacing of Instagram posts in which the 25-year-old used a derogatory slur against Asians.
After the posts came to light, fans called on the producers to remove Cierra from the villa — a response similar to the situation with Yulissa Escobar, who was kicked off the show weeks earlier for using racial slurs in multiple podcasts. Shortly before Cierra's removal, The Sun reported that Love Island USA execs were holding 'crisis meetings' to determine her fate amid the growing controversy.
In an almost five-minute video posted to Instagram on July 9, the Los Angeles-based content creator explained that she had been back in the U.S. for two days and was now ready to address the situation without being 'highly emotional, because I'm not the victim in this situation.'
"I want to first start by addressing, not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community," she began. "I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry. I had no idea that the word held as much pain as much harm, and came with the history that it did, or I never would have used it. I had no ill intention when I was using it. But that's absolutely no excuse, because intent doesn't excuse ignorance."
Ortega went on to explain that she had 'no idea that it was a slur' when she originally posted the Instagram Story in 2024. She said a follower later corrected her and informed her that the term was derogatory and 'incredibly hurtful.'
"In that moment, I was embarrassed," she continued. "I, of course, immediately deleted the post. I was apologetic, and I educated not only myself on the true meaning and history of the word, but also anyone around me who was accidentally holding space for this slur."
She added that she agreed with the show's decision to remove her from the villa, stating, 'I think that this is something that deserved punishment, and the punishment has absolutely been received.' Ortega acknowledged that the backlash has been 'extremely, extremely difficult,' particularly as people have begun targeting her family and loved ones. She claimed that someone even contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement about her family, who no longer 'feel safe in their own home.'
LOVE ISLAND USA — Episode 722 — Pictured: (l-r) Cierra Ortega, Nicolas "Nic" Vansteenberghe — (Photo ... More by: Ben Symons/Peacock via Getty Images)
"If you want to know that you are heard and that I'm sorry and that I will move differently, I promise you that's what will happen," she continued in her video. 'I know that no apology could ever be enough for the harm that I've caused and the offense that's taken place.'
'I know that moving forward, my actions and how I decide to live my life from here on out, is going to speak louder than any apology ever could. But I do need it to be known that I am sorry, and I did mean no harm,' she added.
Ortega's apology comes after her parents shared a statement via her Instagram Story shortly after the July 6 episode, addressing the online hate they had been receiving.
'As Cierra's parents, 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,' they said. 'We're not here to justify or ignore what's surfaced. We understand why people upset and we know accountability matters. But what's happening online right now has gone far beyond that.'
Her family promised that Cierra would "face this with honesty, growth, and grace" and "take responsibility" once she got her phone back. '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.'
At the time of her departure from Fiji, Cierra was coupled up with Nic Vansteenberghe. The pair had recently closed off their connection, but her exit left Nic single. That same night, he recoupled with Olandria Carthen for the second time. The July 10 episode will see another couple voted out of the villa, likely solidifying the final four couples heading into the finale.
Love Island USA airs every day except for Wednesdays on Peacock. The Season 7 finale will air on Sunday, July 13 at 9 p.m. ET.