Latest news with #AustinShepard
Cosmopolitan
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
‘Love Island USA's Austin Shepard Issues Apology
Let's face it: As far as reality TV seasons go, Love Island USA season 7 is kind of a mess. So it shouldn't come as shock to hear that, since leaving the Villa, Austin Shepard has apologized for his offensive social media posts. But what exactly is he apologizing for, and are fans buying it? Here's what you need to know. Austin has been a controversial Love Island USA contestant since day one, after fans found his social media accounts and noticed some—shall we say—objectionable content. His TikTok, @sidestrokeshep, features reposts of many pro-Trump videos, and one video condoning police violence on peaceful protests. Though Austin hasn't apologized for any specific post, he did issue a blanket statement over the weekend following his dumping from the Villa. 'I want to take a moment to address my recent repost that has caused offense to some of you,' he wrote in a statement shared to his Instagram Stories on Saturday, July 4. 'As you all know, I have a very dry sense of humor, and I genuinely didn't think before sharing that content. It was never my intention to hurt or upset anyone.' He continued, 'I value and respect all individuals and their perspectives. I recognize that my choice of content did not resonate well with everyone, and for that, I sincerely apologize.' He added that he would be 'more mindful in the future.' If it sounds vague, that's because it is. Even fans can't agree on what Austin is even apologizing for. Some believe it's for his TikTok reposts, but others think it was in response to the negative reaction to Austin's Instagram Q&A, in which he answered one fan's question about being 'a racist bigot in the villa.' Speaking directly to camera, he denied the accusation, calling it 'crazy' and insisted that whoever wrote in the question must be 'dumb' because 'I have a Black woman tattooed on my side.' So to recap: Since Austin has returned from the Villa, he has insisted that he can't be racist because of a tattoo and issued a blanket apology that doesn't acknowledge any wrongdoing. Add that to his treatment of our beloved Amaya Papaya (real name: Amaya Espinal), and I'm sorry to say, Austin, you are not beating those Love Island USA villain accusations.
Newsweek
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Love Island USA Season 7 Episode 27 – Release Date, Schedule, How To Watch
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Another Wednesday, another Love Island USA hiatus day. Last night's episode featured the mailbox challenge, a game which left some islanders in tears, and has shaken up the dynamic in the villa. We're going to have to wait to see the fallout, though, as Love Island USA won't return until Thursday, July 3. LOVE ISLAND USA -- Episode 726 -- Pictured: (l-r) Taylor Williams, Austin Shepard, Zak Srakaew, Ace Green, Michelle 'Chelley' Bissainthe, Olandria Carthen. LOVE ISLAND USA -- Episode 726 -- Pictured: (l-r) Taylor Williams, Austin Shepard, Zak Srakaew, Ace Green, Michelle 'Chelley' Bissainthe, Olandria Carthen. Ben Symons/Peacock Below are all the details on how to watch Love Island USA season seven, episode 27, including Love Island USA season seven, episode 27 release time and Love Island USA season seven, episode 27 release date. Love Island USA Season 7 Episode 27 Release Date Episode 27 of Love Island USA will be available to stream exclusively on Peacock from July 3, 2025. New episodes of Love Island USA air on Peacock nightly except Wednesdays. Love Island USA Season 7 Episode 27 – How to Watch Love Island USA season seven, episode 27 airs at 6 pm Pacific Time (PT) on July 3, 2025/9 pm Eastern Time (ET). You will need a Peacock subscription to watch season seven of Love Island USA. A basic subscription for Peacock with ads is $7.99 (+tax) per month or $79.99 (+tax) for the year, and a Premium Plus subscription starts at $13.99 (+tax) per month or $139.99 (+tax) annually. What Time Does Love Island USA Season 7 Episode 27 Come Out? Love Island USA season seven, episode 27, will be available to stream from 6 pm (PT) on July 3, 2025/9 pm Eastern Time (ET). With the evening streaming release in the US, the debut time in other countries will differ. Here is when Love Island USA season seven will air in your time zone: July 3 BRT: 10:00 pm July 4 BST : 2:00 am : 2:00 am CEST : 3:00 am : 3:00 am IST : 6:30 am : 6:30 am JST : 10:00 am : 10:00 am AET : 12:00 pm : 12:00 pm NZDT: 2:00 pm Love Island USA Season 7 Release Schedule New episodes of Love Island USA season seven will air nightly from June 3, 2025, except Wednesdays throughout summer. Love Island USA Season 7 Episode 27 Episode Runtime Episodes of Love Island USA typically run between 55 and 70 minutes. What Will Happen in Love Island USA 2025? Love Island USA 2025 will follow the same format as previous seasons, with singles traveling to Fiji for a summer of romance and a chance at finding their one true love. Season seven will be hosted by Ariana Madix of Vanderpump Rules, with comedian Iain Stirling returning as this season's narrator. The official synopsis for the season, as per Peacock, reads:
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Love Island USA's Amaya Espinal Dropped a Viral Song without Leaving Fiji
After bursting onto the scene as a bombshell, America quickly fell in love with Amaya Espinal on Love Island USA. The Dominican sweetheart, AKA "Amaya Papaya," is full of "gratituilly," wears her heart on her sleeve, and has already delivered countless viral moments. While Amaya's early days on Love Island USA Season 7 got off to bit of a rocky start after her initial couplings with Ace Greene and Austin Shepard, she's now had two Casa Amor bombshells pining after her heart and she's been all smiles with Zak Srakaew. Meanwhile, viewers at home can't get enough of Amaya's hilarious one-liners and sweet moments on screen. And from her own heartbreak to feeling for her fellow Islanders, Amaya has shed plenty of tears this season. As she put it in a confessional, "I love to call myself a a sensitive gangster, so here I am crying again." RELATED: The Love Island USA Season 7 Cast: Every Islander That's Entered the Villa Read on to learn all about Love Island USA's Amaya Papaya, including where she's from, her viral song that got love from a famous pop star, and more. Amaya is 25 years old and shared on Love Island USA that she was "born and raised" in New York City. She's also proud of her Dominican heritage. "Both of my parents were actually born in the Dominican Republic and I'm the first generation to be born here," Amaya told Austin. "I'm heavy, heavy on culture. Even when I have my kids, let's say my husband isn't Dominican, they're still going to know Spanish, they're still going to know the culture." Outside of the villa, Amaya is a nurse, as she's posted about on TikTok. RELATED: Love Island USA's Hannah Says This Islander Acted Like the "President of the Villa" Not only has Amaya come up with plenty of off-the-cuff nicknames for her fellow Islanders — like "Jeremiah on fire!" and "Austin Boston" — but she's also gotten her own, "Amaya Papaya." Host Ariana Madix even said her nickname during the girls' first day at Casa Amor. "Alright, Amaya Papaya, let's see what you got!" Ariana said in Episode 19 just before Amaya threw a dart at a wall of balloons. RELATED: Love Island USA's New Casa Amor Rules, Explained: "Everyone Gets a Second Chance" Amaya's solo singing sessions in the villa's makeup room have quickly become reality TV anthems for Love Island USA fans. In one little ditty alone in front of the mirror, Amaya sang, "I never said that I was perfect. I never said I didn't have any flaws. But at least I'm pretty and at least I'm a little funny. And at least I'm my own best friend.' The moment quickly went viral, with one fan writing on Reddit, "Amaya Papaya doesn't even know she has the song of the summer." Another added, "I CANNOT stop singing this around my apartment. Making breakfast? 'I never said I was perfect!' Tidying up? 'I never said I didn't have any flaws!'" Amaya's song even got love from Lizzo in a video on TikTok. "Tell Amaya Papaya we love her," Lizzo captioned the video. Known as "this is who tf i am" by Amaya Papaya on TikTok, the song has been featured in nearly 22,000 videos. While most of the Islanders are completely unaware how viral Amaya's song has gone, Hannah Fields and Jeremiah Brown got to watch a clip of the moment after their shocking eliminations. "She is hilarious," Jeremiah told Entertainment Tonight, while Hannah added, "She is a bundle of joy, she's so unintentionally funny." Amaya once again, alone in the makeup room, served up another delightful song as she got ready after returning to the villa from Casa Amor. "It's an amazing day. I'm back home and I'm here to stay. Ain't nobody gonna take me away," she sang in her pajamas before grunting into a cartwheel. Keep up with Amaya Papaya in the villa when episodes of Love Island USA Season 7 drop daily, except on Wednesdays, at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock. New episodes of Love Island Aftersun are available to stream on Saturdays.
The Sun
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Love Island USA girls' passionate kiss goes viral as steamy scene leaves show boys stunned
LOVE Island USA has gone viral after two girls shared an extremely passionate kiss in front of their housemates. Chelley Bissainthe and Cierra Ortega's wild snog has been viewed around the world millions of times after a clip of the moment was shared online. 6 6 6 The pair locked lips during a game in the villa and the boys in particular were left gobsmacked. Austin Shepard, who is coupled up with Chelley, was left wiping his eyes in disbelief before saying, "Chelley and I haven't even kissed like that." The intense girl-on-girl snog happened during a game of Pucker Or Pie in the US series of Love Island, which is filmed in Fiji. Cierra was stood in front of the Islanders and read out a card that said, "Which Islander gives you red flag vibes?" Giving her answer to the group, she had a twinkle in her eye as she said, "I'm going to say... Chelley." Chelley, who was wearing a blue denim mini dress, looked delighted to have been picked - despite the "red flag" comment. Cierra was then required to toss a giant pink coin, which featured a picture of lips on one side and cream pie on the other. She made zero attempt to spin it and ensured it landed lips side up. Chelley rushed to the front and the girls immediately grabbed each other and began kissing frantically. Cutting to a clip in the Beach Hut, Cierra said, "Do you know how long I've been waiting to get my lips on Chelley?!" Love Island USA fans spot 'adult toy' in the background of bedroom scene and ask 'are y'all seeing this-' A clip of the moment has now taken the internet by storm, with many viewers delighted to see the girls sharing a smooch. Fans of Love Island USA have noticed a growing chemistry between Cierra and Chelley - despite them both being coupled up with men - and are now hoping they can recouple with each other. Commenting on the kiss, one fan said, "WHEN CIERRA SAID SHE HAD BEEN WAITING TO KISS CHELLEY I NEARLY DIED. they have more chemistry than any of these couples do." Another added, "Ughh the HUNGER BEHIND THAT KISS!!!! 'Chelley and i havent even kissed like that" is sending me sb. Poor Austin he was literally ab to cry." And a third remarked, "All I want is a recoupling where girls pick the guys… then Cierra stands up and picks Chelley leaving the men in the duuuuuust!! Please it's what we need." Chelley, who works as a trader, came out as bisexual early in this season's Love Island USA, which airs on Peacock. She even told her fellow Islanders that she previously dated two girls at once, seeing one in the morning and one in the evening. Cierra, meanwhile, has played her cards closer to her chest and not openly said whether she is also attracted to women. She is currently coupled up with Nicolas Vansteenberghe. In her video intro as she entered the villa, content creator Cierra said, "I'm the full package: brains, beauty, and boobs. "I don't care whose toes I have to step on. If I can take your man, he was never your man in the first place." 6 6 6
