‘Love Island USA' star Cierra Ortega abruptly exits show after racist posts resurface as her family speaks out
'Love Island USA' star Cierra Ortega, 25, made a shocking and abrupt exit from the Peacock reality dating series on Sunday.
On Sunday, narrator Iain Stirling made the vague announcement that Ortega left the American version of the hit reality dating franchise due to a 'personal situation.'
Advertisement
The content creator's swift departure comes amid backlash to her past social media posts that allegedly contained racial slurs aimed at Chinese people.
The Post reached out to NBC and Peacock for comment.
9 Cierra Ortega on 'Love Island USA.'
Ben Symons/Peacock
Advertisement
9 Cierra Ortega on 'Love Island USA.'
cierra.ortega/Instagram
Since the post went viral, the former 'Love Island' star lost over 200,000 followers within 48 hours. She had been in a relationship with Nic Vansteenberg, and her departure leaves him single.
Ortega has yet to comment, but her parents posted a statement on her Instagram Stories on Sunday, calling it 'one of the most painful weeks of our lives.'
They wrote, '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.'
Advertisement
They explained that Ortega hadn't seen the social media backlash yet, as she was secluded in the 'Love Island' villa in Fiji and then continued to be offline.
9 'Love Island USA' star Cierra Ortega's parents' Instagram statement.
cierra.ortega/Instagram
9 Cierra Ortega on 'Love Island USA.'
Ben Symons/Peacock
9 Cierra Ortega and Nicolas Vansteenberghen on 'Love Island USA.'
Ben Symons/Peacock
Advertisement
'The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it's heartbreaking,' the statement continued.
'It's uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they've made. While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. 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 statement concluded. '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. Not just for her, but for everyone caught in the middle of this.'
9 Cierra Ortega on 'Love Island USA.'
Ben Symons/Peacock
9 Cierra Ortega's controversial social media post from 2015.
Cierra Ortega/Instagram
Ortega's departure is just the latest 'Love Island' scandal.
Earlier this season, fellow Islander Yulissa Escobar also exited after past racist comments resurfaced.
When the cast was first announced, fans quickly uncovered two podcast clips where Escobar could be heard using the N-word.
Advertisement
'Now I'm f–king my [N-word], he's my [N-word],' she says in a video shared on Reddit.
9 Cierra Ortega's controversial Instagram Story.
Cierra Ortega/Instagram
In a July TikTok, Escobar said, 'I had gotten called to the front and then I met one of the producers and they asked me to take my mic off. I figured something serious was kind of happening. I honestly got scared. I thought something happened with a family member.'
She explained, 'They didn't really tell me anything. They just said that a video resurfaced on the internet and it's not looking too good. I didn't really know what video or what I was saying or what I did.'
Advertisement
Due to being sequestered,Escobar said she was in her hotel room 'losing my mind' without social media access. 'I didn't know what was going on. I just knew that there was a video out there,' she explained. 'I get it. I said a word that I should have not said. But I wish I would have never said that. It is what it is. I can't go back in time. I am sorry that I said that word.'
9 Iris Kendall, Hannah Fields, Amaya Espinal, Olandria Carthen, Megan Thee Stallion, Michelle Chelley, Bissainthe, Huda Mustafa, and Cierra Ortega on 'Love Island USA.'
Ben Symons/Peacock
Following Ortega's exit, fellow Islander Belle-A Walker, who was dumped from the villa, also took to social media to address the scandal in her Instagram Stories.
'When I first saw what my fellow Islander said on their social media pages, I was incredibly heartbroken,' Walker wrote.
Advertisement
'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 continued. '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.'
New episodes of 'Love Island USA' air every night, except Wednesdays, at 9 p.m. on Peacock.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kevin Connolly engaged
Kevin Connolly has got engaged. The Entourage actor has been dating Zulay Henao for seven years and on Friday (04.07.25), he popped the question in his hometown of Long Island, New York, in front of family members including their four-year-old daughter Kennedy. Zulay, 46, told People magazine: "It was intimate, personal and so full of love. Having Kennedy there made it unforgettable." Kevin got down on one knee to propose with a "timeless" and "elegant" diamond ring custom-designed by KC Sukamto. The jewellers created a "classic and modern" piece of jewellery featuring an emerald-cut solitaire with a hidden halo set in two-tone design with a gold band. The happy couple then celebrated with fireworks and an intimate dinner with their close family. Last month, the Modern Muze founder shared a touching tribute to Kevin on Father's Day. Sharing a selection of family photos, she wrote on Instagram: "Happy Father's Day Papi! We love you babe, thank you for being our home! You are Daddying beautifully, just look at the smiles in these pictures… muah baby." Kennedy was born amid the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2021, and the couple were in "awe" of their little girl. Announcing the tot's birth, Zulay wrote on her Instagram Story at the time: "She's really sweet and patient so far, not too much crying, just really curious about her surroundings. "I just watch in awe. She also has a huge appetite like her momma." Just six weeks later, Kevin and Kennedy contracted COVID-19 Kevin told Victory the Podcast: "I like to think I'm a pretty responsible person, even now that I have a baby. But I don't know, man … whatever this new Delta variant is. F*** man, I got sick. "It's been hard. Anyone that has a kid knows that it's hard when your kid is sick, you know? Because there's really nothing you can do for them." Kevin explained that his symptoms were "brutal" - but he was trying his best to cope with the illness. By contrast, he revealed that his daughter has been "doing great". Kevin explained: "It's just the congestion part, but the fever is down and we're all back on the road to recovery. It's a close call."
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Love Island USA's Cierra Ortega Used Code Word for Sex
So the latest season of Love Island USA has been pretty wild. In more ways than one. And apparently there is a code word for the more intimate moments. And Cierra Ortega used that code word to talk about her sex life with Nic Vansteenberghe. Did you catch that? In case you missed it, Season 7 of Love Island has seen some of the wildest behavior ever. More than one couple have had sex in the villa and they've even talked about it on national TV. Wonder how that went over with their families? Perhaps that's why they decided to use a code word for intimacy. Although is a code word still a code word if everyone knows what it means? Cierra used the code word on the latest episode when talking to Iris Kendall. The two were having a chat following the re-coupling post Casa Amor. 'Did you hear me taking my journey?' Cierra asked Iris who is currently paired with TJ Palma. 'Well the journey was much longer this time than the first time.' And by longer she means 40 seconds instead of 30. Cierra teased more about her encounter with Nic adding, 'And we stopped for food on the way. Hotdogs and hamburgers were ordered. We both had a full course meal. Once we finished eating, we ended at a waterfall. It was beautiful.' In case you missed it, 'journey' is the code word for intimacy among the islanders. We learned this thanks to Hannah Fields. She was dumped earlier this season and recently revealed to US Weekly the sneaky way they talk about sex. 'We had a code name for intimacy,' Hannah shared. 'We would say, 'how was your journey? What was the journey like?' Huda (Mustafa) started it when she said something like, 'Oh, I had a journey. My journey went all the way.'' Hannah had her own 'journey' with Pepe Garcia. Which means that she, Cierra, and Huda have all taken a journey or two. In fact, the producers have been pretty overwhelmed by the cast they have asked them to tone down the 'journeys' for the camera. The other couples have yet to admit if they took any journeys ahead of the finale later this month. Love Island USA is available to stream on Peacock, with new episodes airing every day except Wednesdays. TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CAST AND THEIR 'JOURNEYS'? DO YOU THINK THE SEASON 7 CREW NEEDS TO TONE IT DOWN? The post Love Island USA's Cierra Ortega Used Code Word for Sex appeared first on Reality Tea.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Love Island USA's Chris Seeley and Huda Mustafa Have Sex in the Villa
If you thought that it couldn't possibly get spicier on Season 7 Love Island USA, you would be wrong. Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales were chosen by their fellow Islanders to go to the Hideaway for some private time. Meanwhile, Chris Seeley and Huda Mustafa had sex in the villa. Several couples have done the deed in the villa, in close proximity to their co-stars, with cameras filming. The contestants have been so sexually adventurous this season that production reportedly asked the Islanders to calm their hormones. As if! During a recent episode of the series, Chris told Bryan that he and Huda had a 'hiccup' during the baby challenge. 'I truly appreciate her being vulnerable. I really do like her,' Chris said, before adding that he 'folded' the previous night. 'I wasn't going to tell anybody. [But] I couldn't do it anymore. I really tried [to hold out],' he explained. 'I just didn't want to tell the other boys.' In his confessional, Chris said, 'I feel like that was just a great step into our physical connection that we probably don't show in front of everyone else. It definitely made us feel stronger in our physical connection.' He added, 'That is really all I can say about that.' However, as you may recall, Huda previously had sex with her first connection, Jeremiah Brown. Plus, Pepe Garcia and Hannah Fields also enjoyed some sexy time in the villa before her exit. Do these people forget that they are on camera? Meanwhile, Cierra Ortega and her connection, Nic Vansteenberghe, also had sex in the communal villa. She even mentioned a term, 'journey,' that Huda coined as a code word for sex. I'm sure viewers will be hearing about more 'journeys' as the season winds to a close. Love Island USA is available to stream on Peacock, with new episodes airing every day except Wednesdays. TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT CHRIS AND HUDA HAD SEX? IS THERE TOO MUCH SEX IN THE VILLA THIS SEASON? The post Love Island USA's Chris Seeley and Huda Mustafa Have Sex in the Villa appeared first on Reality Tea.
