Netflix decided not to air a Temptation Island reunion, but one' streaming network's trash is another podcaster's treasure. Nick Viall hosted an unofficial Temptation Island reunion on The Viall Files this week, bringing together three fourths of the cast—Brion and Shanté did not attend.
Since Temptation Island hit Netflix in early March, fans have been clamoring for updates on the couples (both current and former). Lino and Alexa left the Island engaged, but what are they up to now? Where do exes Taylor and Tyler stand? And what about all the drama between Grant and Ashley post-show? Nick Viall got into everything in a 2+ hour episode. Don't have that kind of time on your hands? No worries! Here are the most shocking moments from the Temptation Island reunion interview:
Grant regrets nothing—or maybe everything?
If Grant was hoping to use this Viall Files appearance to clear his name, well, let's just say he definitely failed. Though he managed not to yell at Ashley like he did on TikTok live, he did spend quite a long time simultaneously trying to excuse his behavior while also maybe owning up to it. “I cheated on TV,” he said at one point. “I had to look at myself in the mirror and face some things that I didn't like. I took accountability, we tried to make it work, and it didn't.”
Despite their decision to breakup at the final bonfire, Ashley and Grant did get back together after Temptation Island. And Ashley admitted in the podcast that she did see a change in Grant after the show. “I felt as though he had put in the work and I just couldn't move past what we went through,” she said, explaining why they broke up for the last time. Unfortunately, her good impression of him didn't last. Or, as Ashley put it, “Everything just went to shit the last few weeks.”
Since the show premiered on Netflix and the cast has been allowed to speak on what happened, Grant has shared many angry posts towards Ashley. He even crashed her TikTok live with Natalie (the single woman he also dated on and after the Island before cheating on her with Ashley) just to yell at her. Grant explained on the podcast that he was upset because he felt like Ashley was being dismissive of their six-month relationship post-show.
“I was so heartbroken, so confused as to what was going on,” he said, claiming that she was making TikToks “bashing me.” All this made him feel “this need to explain the truth.” But, he says, “I don't need to be understood, I need to understand myself and for God to understand me, and that is literally it.”
He then went on to say that during their six-month rekindling, he “let her beat my spirit into a pulp.” And that he had been “conditioned” to think that “being mistreated was my fault.” He continued, saying he used to believe that if he changed or “communicated better,” but now he believes, “I'm not responsible for how someone else handles their pain.”
So, to recap: he knows he messed up by cheating, but also didn't deserve how she reacted to it, and he also regrets yelling at her on TikTok live, but still believes he is the wronged party. Oh, and maybe he did send Ashley a text calling her a “hoe” based on the first preview for the show, but he laughs it off like it's no big deal. (See below.)
Um...ok!
Grant tried to get back together with Natalie after breaking up with Ashley.
During a particularly emotional moment between Grant and Ashley, Ashley questioned whether or not Grant really wanted to marry her when they were together and revealed that he immediately started contacting Natalie after they broke up. “Immediately after we broke up, you were hitting up Natalie,” Ashley said, adding, “You want me to vouch that you're this changed man! I can't do that.” (For the record, Natalie and and Grant don't appear to have dated again, and Natalie and Ashley have said that they are still friends after the show.)
Temptresses were interested in Lino, but he wasn't into it.
Alexa and Lino both addressed fans who say that Lino would have cheated on Alexa had any of the girls in the house been interested. There was interest—and lots of it—according to the couple. “Lino could have cheated on me in three and a half years, guys, and he could have cheated on me on the show. He didn't—not because the girls weren't interested in him—because he wanted to pursue me and is loyal to me,” Alexa said.
She added that when she finally met the Temptresses from the show, they all gushed about Lino and told her that the only reason they didn't pursue him on the Island was because they respected their relationship.
Lino didn't pursue Alex or any other temptresses.
Alexa had essentially given him a hall pass to hook up with any of the women. But, Lino said he realized after a few days that he just wasn't into it. “The whole scenes with Alex, she knew very early on that there was no boundaries, but I wasn't going to cross any,” he explained. “We had a very playful, fun, and flirty relationship because we knew that we would never cross that boundary and she respected Alexa and I's relationship.”
Lino continued, saying that he never pursued anything romantic with Alex (or anyone else). “As much as it seems like I am pursuing her in some of these scenes, they are completely out of context,” he said, adding that he did, of course, get a little flirty on Temptation Island. “I had to play ball a little bit. It is Temptation Island, not Support Island,” he joked.
Tyler says he and Kay didn't date after the Island because she has an OnlyFans.
When asked what happened between him and Kay after Temptation Island, Tyler confirmed that they never really dated. The reason? Her OnlyFans. He told The Viall Files that Kay hadn't told him what she did for a living until their camera-free final date. “[She] told me a little bit more about her career and what she does, and she withheld very important information,” he said, implying that she had kept it a secret.
Kay has since pushed back on this in a TikTok, showing texts that appear to show Tyler reaching out to her multiple times after filming wrapped—meaning after he already knew about her OnlyFans. “I wasn't there to defend myself, so I'm left with no choice,” she captioned the video. “Sorry not sorry.”
In the comments, she confirmed that she told Tyler about her career on the island, writing, “I told Tyler about my ‘work’ on the island, off camera, before we even had final bonfire so he could make a fully informed decision.” She also seemed to suggest that he knew much longer than he claimed, writing, “like every person in the house knew all season except you??? okay.”
Lino and Alexa set a date for their wedding!
Let's end on some happy news, shall we? Lino and Alexa's wedding planning is in full effect and the duo have already set a wedding date: October 2, 2026. Whether or not their Temptation Island co-stars will be invited...that remains to be seen.
