Latest news with #CierraOrtega
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Cierra Ortega takes loaded swipe at Nic Vansteenberghe after 'Love Island' exit amid racism scandal
Cierra Ortega, a former Love Island USA contestant, has responded to her exit from the show with a direct message from Greece. In a pointed Instagram post, the 25-year-old reflected on her journey and called out her former partner, Nic Vansteenberghe. Sharing a sun-drenched video from Mykonos, Ortega wrote, "Thanks, I booked a flight to Mykonos after surviving the villain edit on reality TV and I didn't end up with the guy who never actually liked me and wanted my friend the entire time." Ortega was removed from the villa mid-show after producers learned of her past use of a racial slur. She later addressed the controversy in a video, stating, "This is something that deserved punishment, and the punishment has absolutely been received." While she expressed remorse, she also asked viewers not to target her family, citing harassment and threats. Following her departure, Vansteenberghe quickly recoupled with Olandria Carthen and the two ultimately placed second in the finale. In a podcast appearance, he said, "She just left. It was some sort of personal reason or something along those lines." He added, "If whatever is happening in the outside world is something I don't align with, then that could be perceived as me supporting that." While Olandria has not commented, fans continue to debate the authenticity of the final pairings and the show's handling of accountability and redemption.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cierra Ortega's 'Love Island' apology, cancel culture and why Gen Z has a big problem
Gen Z has taken over the newest season of 'Love Island USA' − and it's causing some major problems. Cierra Ortega, a 25-year-old content creator, has left the villa due to 'personal' situation, days after past social media posts surfaced online that showed her using a racial slur. On July 9, she issued an apology for having used the "incredibly offensive and derogatory term." Ortega isn't the first Season 7 Islander to be removed from the villa following controversy. Another contestant, Yulissa Escobar was abruptly ousted from the villa on just the second day, after clips of her using a racial slur on a podcast resurfaced. She later apologized, saying at the time she didn't fully understand "the weight, history or pain behind it.' There's no excuse for using a racial slur — and it's important to recognize the hurt it inflicts among the affected communities. But two Islanders being ousted in one season begs the question: Are those 'digital footprints' teachers and parents warned of finally coming back to haunt Gen Z? How online sleuths impact reality TV The open secret of reality TV is that the producers control the narrative. Conversations are cut down, some couples are poised to be the favorites, while other contestants get pigeonholeed as the villain. However, as we dive deeper into surveillance culture in the digital age, producers are met with an inability to control that narrative online. When conflict arises, producers can't simply limit a contestant's screen time to get the world to stop talking about them. The drama takes on a life of its own outside the villa and on social media, leading to contestants being "canceled" even while the show is airing in real-time. On 'Love Island USA' Season 7, most of the contestants are between the ages of 21-27, making them the first group of Gen Z islanders who have fully grown up in the digital age. Their entire lives have been documented on X (at the time, Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok. In earlier seasons, producers and contestants never had to think about what could be dug up from a contestant's social media history. And if an incriminating video existed, there wasn't as big of a platform to share it on. Now, audiences are more connected than ever, and algorithmic feeds on apps like TikTok allow for widespread discourse on concentrated topics, continuously pouring gas on the flames of online drama. Because reality TV is meant to be authentic and unfiltered, 'it's much easier for people who watch it regularly to connect with these characters and start to invest in them,' explains media psychologist Pamela Rutledge. This can also lead viewers to form parasocial relationships with contestants, which according to Elizabeth Perse, a professor emeritus of communication at the University of Delaware, is the 'illusion of friendship" with a public persona. When reality stars act in a way that is offensive or seemingly out of character, audiences feel betrayed. Once contestants return home, the attention can be overwhelming, especially when it turns hostile. 'Even though contestants don't know the commenters on social media personally, the relentless and pointed attacks can feel very personal,' trauma and relationship therapist Jordan Pickell previously told USA TODAY. 'Human brains aren't equipped to distinguish between real-life risks to safety and online attacks.' In case you missed it: People can't stop talking about Huda on 'Love Island.' Will we ever learn our lesson? Ortega's departure sheds light on Asian hate Experts say referring to "cancel culture" as "accountability culture" could help hold people accountable for their wrongdoings — allowing room for growth while still enduring the consequences of their actions. Ortega appeared to use a slur, which refers to people of Asian descent, to describe her eyes in a 2015 Instagram caption. Another Instagram story using the slur circulated via an unverified screenshot, which appeared to be as recent as 2023, according to People. Many Asian Americans have taken this controversy as an opportunity to educate people about the history of the slur and why it is hurtful to Asian communities. 'Anytime you say these horrible things like Cierra did on her (Instagram story), it really does hurt,' one TikTok content creator said. 'Cierra from 'Love Island' got Botox to make her eyes look less like my eyes,' said another in a video with 8M views. 'Imagine being in a world where you're looking at media and you don't see people with your eye shape, and instead you're seeing people get surgery to alter your eye shape.' Belle-A Walker, a contestant who was dumped earlier this season, unfollowed Ortega on Instagram and commended 'Love Island USA' producers for "taking a stand.' '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,' Walker shared via an Instagram story on July 7. 'It is my hope that this situation can help shed light on how big of an issue anti-Asian hate really is.' Can cancel culture go too far? On July 7, fellow ousted contestant Escobar posted a TikTok expressing concern for Ortega's mental health. 'I'm not justifying what I did, I know what I did and what I said was wrong, and I know what Cierra said was wrong,' Escobar said. 'Looking at those messages I was getting, I was honestly scared to come home,' she continued. 'I was like, is something going to happen to me? Is someone going to do something to me? Because it was just a lot to take in, and even my family was worried.' In a statement posted by Ortega's family to her Instagram story on July 6, the family asked that people allow her to take accountability, saying that the 'attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters' were 'heartbreaking' and 'uncalled for.' As to where the show can go from here? Maybe take viewers' advice and cast some 'regular people,' not influencers, on the show next season. Contributing: David Oliver, Taijuan Moorman This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cierra 'Love Island' apology and reality TV's cancel culture problem Solve the daily Crossword
Cosmopolitan
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Changing the Casting Process Won't Save ‘Love Island USA'
If you're a reality TV fan in 2025, then you know that it's likely someone on your favorite show has something problematic hidden in their past. A Big Brother houseguest might use a slur on the live feed. A suitor on The Bachelorette will be exposed as having been convicted of assault and battery. The most recent scandal occurred during season 7 of Love Island USA, which saw two cast members sent home for past use of racist language. After these instances, producers reportedly vowed to change the Love Island USA casting process. As a longtime reality TV watcher, I want nothing more than for these shows to figure out how to keep abusive or problematic people off my screen, but I'm not hopeful. Love Island USA season 8 is currently casting, as is season 30 of The Bachelor, and applications are available online. And the process still seems flawed. Casting applications for both ask for basic information—name, date of birth, social media handles, photos, height, weight, etc.—as well as consent for a background check and a question about past arrests and convictions. But there is one question, which appears on both apps, that stands out: 'Is there any other information we should be made aware of concerning your application (including anything in your past that may attract negative press or publicity)? If YES, please provide details.' I don't know if this question was also on the Love Island USA season 7 application, but if it was, then I think we can safely say it did not do the trick. And it's easy to see why—this question relies entirely on the applicant's sincerity, self-awareness, and memory. If, for example, Love Island USA's Cierra Ortega had been faced with this question, she might have forgotten about her offensive Instagram posts or she could have talked herself out of disclosing it. After all, her most recent use of the slur (as far as we know) was in a temporary Instagram Story in 2024. Most people don't use social media thinking that someone will screenshot what they post—let alone keep those screenshots for years. She would have had no reason to think she'd get caught. The prompt also assumes that a prospective contestant will recognize their own past behavior as problematic, which we know is not always the case. After seeing fan backlash against his TikTok reposts, Love Island USA's Austin Shepard apologized and appeared to take some down. But based on his incredibly vague apology, it really doesn't feel like he understands why viewers were concerned about his apparent support of Trump while he was romancing women of color on the show. That said, there's only so much producers can reasonably do. As previously noted, Cierra's use of a racial slur was in her Instagram Stories, which are automatically erased after 24 hours. When Matt James' The Bachelor contestant (and longtime girlfriend) Rachael Kirkconnell was found to have attended a plantation-themed sorority event in college, it was only discovered after she was announced as a contestant when fans started lurking on TikTok and doing deep dives on her friends' social media accounts. Social media aside, background checks have also failed to catch serious red flags, including past convictions or charges that might have been dismissed or sealed by a court. Just last year, a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette had a restraining order filed against him after the vetting process had concluded. There are always going to be things that slip through the cracks. Producers have a duty to protect contestants from potentially dangerous or harmful situations, but short of making the casting pool—aka America—less racist, less misogynist, and less ignorant, there really isn't a magic bullet to guarantee non-problematic casting. At this point, the closest we can get is having reality shows employ TikTok and Instagram detectives—fans of the show who are experts at digging up dirt—and letting them do their thing before the season starts. Only the fans can save us now.
Express Tribune
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Cierra Ortega responds to death threats after Love Island USA exit over resurfaced racial slur
Cierra Ortega, a former Love Island USA Season 7 contestant, has responded publicly to the death threats and backlash following her departure from the show. On July 13, just ahead of the season finale, Ortega addressed the online harassment through her Instagram Stories, urging fans to 'be kind' while questioning the intentions behind the ongoing criticism. Ortega exited the Love Island villa earlier in the season after past footage of her using a racial slur resurfaced and went viral. While some might have expected her to limit interactions on social media, Ortega kept her comments and direct messages open, choosing instead to confront the situation directly. In her Instagram Story, Ortega compiled several hateful and threatening messages she received, including calls to report her family to immigration authorities and threats of violence. She captioned the post, 'Hey so is this still about accountability or...?' to highlight the disproportionate nature of the response. She followed with a statement expressing concern over the tone of the discourse. 'I carry nothing but love in my heart,' she wrote, calling out those who attacked her instead of using the moment to address the harm caused by racial slurs. 'What should be a collective opportunity to address derogatory language and the harm they carry has instead snowballed into an excuse for cruelty.' Ortega emphasized the potential for growth, adding, 'Imagine how much further we could be as a collective' if that outrage were transformed into advocacy for impacted communities. She concluded by asking her followers to 'be kind.' As of now, her social media profiles remain open to the public. The official Love Island USA Instagram account echoed a similar message, calling for viewers to treat all cast members with respect and positivity.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Cierra from 'Love Island USA'? What to know about Cierra Ortega
University of Arizona alum and former Phoenix resident Cierra Ortega's journey on "Love Island USA" 2025 has come to an end. Cierra joined Season 7 on Day 2 and was there until she left due to a "personal situation," according to narrator Iain Stirling during Episode 30. While no official statement has been made by Peacock or "Love Island USA" regarding Cierra's departure, she has been receiving backlash in the past few days after old posts and stories on Instagram and TikTok resurfaced. Cierra entered the villa as a bombshell and grabbed the attention of a lot of the men, as everyone except for Jeremiah Brown stood up to couple with her. She was also friends with past "Love Island USA" contestants, including Carmen Kocourek from Season 5, Kassy Castillo from Seasons 5 and 6 and Phoenix resident Johnnie Garcia from Season 5. Here's what to know about Cierra Ortega from "Love Island USA" Season 7. Cierra is a former contestant on "Love Island USA" Season 7. She was removed from the show due to a "personal situation." Many fans had been asking for her removal from the show after screenshots started to resurface of her allegedly using a racial slur. Before leaving the show, Cierra had been coupled up with Nicolas "Nic" Vansteenberghe, a 24-year-old registered nurse and model from Jacksonville, Florida. The two were coupled up for the majority of her time in the villa, except when Cierra had to briefly couple up with Elan Bibas, a 24-year-old tech consultant from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, in Casa Amor. Cierra Ortega is 25 years old. Cierra is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent. Cierra is a marketing professional. According to an Instagram post made while Cierra was in the villa on June 17, Cierra was born in Chicago. According to the "Love Island USA" PR team, Cierra is a native of Phoenix. Similar to former Islander Yulissa, Cierra may have been removed due to racial slurs she allegedly used against East Asian people. When describing her Botox on her social media, Cierra said she loved how it made her eyes look and used a derogatory racial slur aimed at Asian people. She used that same slur in a 2015 Instagram post of herself at the top of "A" Mountain in Tempe. If Cierra has gotten her phone back from her time on "Love Island USA," she has not posted any response as of July 8. Her family posted a statement on her Instagram story on Sunday, July 6, following the episode where she left. "While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away," the story said. "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." You can stream "Love Island USA" 2025 exclusively on Peacock. A premium monthly plan on Peacock costs $7.99, or there is a deal for a premium annual plan at $24.99 for one year. The premium plus plan, which is ad-free, costs $13.99 per month or $139.99 a year. Reach the reporter at Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on Bluesky @ Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What to know about Cierra Ortega from 'Love Island USA' Season 7
