Love Island season 7 USA controversies: Will Peacock reality dating show be stopped?
on Peacock has witnessed several controversies. For viewers, the ridiculous games, steamy make-out sessions and potential relationships that appear on "Love Island USA" are as much of a draw as what happens after they air. The reality dating show, on Peacock, brings contestants to a remote villa in Fiji to pair up and risk getting dumped (and booted from the island) or recoupled with a different romantic interest.
Love Island season 7
USA Toxic Fans
Through the show's official app, viewers are encouraged to vote on who should be dumped and even selecting which contestants should go on dates. But one such fan vote, and a floodgate of audience response, this season has reopened scrutiny of "Love Island" and the mental health and welfare of its contestants.
In recent weeks, host Ariana Madix took the rare step of admonishing fans, as some have sent hateful messages or threats to family and friends of the islanders.
The rebuke came after viewers were vocal in response to Huda Mustafa, a 24-year-old from North Carolina who audiences voted to split from her partner Jeremiah Brown. Her reaction was dramatic, even by reality TV standards.
Live Events
Mustafa shouted insults and expletives at Brown, and her aggressive behavior toward the woman Brown was recoupled with prompted another contestant, Pepe Garcia, to tell an islander: "I don't know if we should stay close or not, in case something happens."
Love Island
Contestants
The next day, Cierra Ortega, a contestant, told other villa residents, "When she charged at Iris yesterday, I was [expletive] scared."
Leah Kateb, a contestant from Season 6, said on the Call Her Daddy podcast last year that she considered leaving the villa multiple times and said the show's "psych sessions," where contestants can speak to a licensed mental health professional on set, helped her to process what was happening in the villa.
Connor Newsum, a contestant from the same season, said that many of his sessions focused on keeping distance from fan sentiment.
Noah Sheline, the father of Mustafa's 4-year-old daughter, posted a TikTok story that read: "At the end of the day I hope everyone remembers we're human. Her going on that show to find love, or whatever you think it was she's doing, remember she's still human, she has a daughter, and a life."
Other online commentary has targeted islanders' physical appearance, speech pattern and sexuality.
Love Island Mental Health Issues
The "Love Island" universe has prompted scrutiny of how it supports contestants who face mental health issues. In 2018, Niall Aslam, a contestant on Season 4 of the U.K. iteration who has Asperger's syndrome, was removed from the show after nine days and sent to a hospital after exhibiting atypical behavior. He was later told he was having a stress-induced psychotic episode.
After appearing on the show, two U.K. contestants died by suicide -- Sophie Gradon in 2018 and Mike Thalassitis in 2019 -- and the British Parliament opened an inquiry into the ethics of reality TV and the duties of broadcasters to protect talent.
In February 2020, the host of the British version, Caroline Flack, also died by suicide after producers replaced her amid tabloid coverage of an assault allegation made against her by a former boyfriend.
Big Step by ITV America
ITV America, the production company behind the show, shared in an email the resources it provides contestants before, during and after they appear on the show.
Ahead of filming, contestants undergo assessments by psychologists and, while in the villa, each islander is assigned a psychologist, who is on-site, who watches the footage and has weekly check-ins with the contestants. The contestant or the psychologist can request more check-ins. The crew also includes a welfare manager and human resource representatives.
A disclaimer at the beginning of an episode that aired last week warned against cyberbullying. "The keyword in Love Island is love. We love our fans, We love our islanders. We don't love cyberbullying, harassment or hate."
FAQs
Q1. Where you watch Love Island season 7 USA?
A1. Love Island season 7 USA can be streamed on Peacock.
Q2. How many seasons are there of Love Island USA?
A2. There are a total of seven seasons of Love Island USA.
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