Reality

‘Love Island USA’ Star Cierra Ortega Addresses Villa Exit Over Racist Social Media Posts

The Love Island USA personality was removed from the July 6 episode of the Peacock show.

(Photo by: Ben Symons/Peacock)

Love Island USA‘s Cierra Ortega has broken her silence after being removed from the Peacock dating show for racist social media posts.

Ortega was said to have left the villa for “personal reasons” during the July 6 episode of Love Island USA after past social media posts resurfaced that showed her using a racist slur.

Videos by PopCulture.com

On Wednesday, Ortega returned to Instagram with a lengthy video now that she has had “the chance to process” her Love Island USA exit and could address it without being “highly emotional.”

โ€œWhile I was in the villa, there were some posts that resurfaced from my past where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term,โ€ she said. โ€œAnd before I get into the details, I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community. 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.โ€

Cierra Ortega and nic Vansteenberghe on love island usa (Photo by: Ben Symons/Peacock)

She continued, โ€œI do want to hold my hands up and say that I take accountability for using the word, but I do want it to be known that I genuinely had no idea that it was a slur. I had no idea of its meaning, and it wasnโ€™t until I made the public story post in 2024 when a follower of mine reached out to correct me and let me know that what I was saying was incredibly hurtful.โ€

Promising to do better in the future, Ortega called for the “hate” directed towards her and her family to stop. The reality personality claimed that her family had had U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement called on them and no longer “feel safe in their own home,” and that she has been “receiving death threats.”

“Thereโ€™s no need to fight hate with hate,โ€ Ortega said. โ€œI donโ€™t think thatโ€™s justice. And if you want to know that you are heard and that Iโ€™m sorry and that I will move differently, I promise you, thatโ€™s what will happen.”

Ortega’s family previously issued a statement on Instagram following her exit. โ€œWeโ€™ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasnโ€™t seen any of it yet, we have,โ€ their Story statement read. โ€œAnd so have the people who love her. Weโ€™re not here to justify or ignore whatโ€™s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But whatโ€™s happening online right now has gone far beyond that. The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, itโ€™s heartbreaking. Itโ€™s uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake theyโ€™ve made.โ€

Ortega is the second Love Island USA Season 7 contestant to be removed from the villa. Yulissa Escobar was removed from the show after just two episodes, after videos resurfaced of her using racial slurs.