Reality TV fans were left stunned Sunday night when Love Island USA’s Cierra Ortega was unceremoniously removed from the Love Island Villa. The show’s voiceover claimed that Cierra had left due to a “personal situation,” but fans know that’s not the real reason Cierra left Love Island USA.
Earlier last week, Love Island USA viewers uncovered a 2024 social media post seemingly from Cierra in which she spoke about the cosmetic work she had done, which used a racial slur towards the Asian community while referencing her eyes. Fans also found another (older) Instagram post that showed her using the same slur while referring to her eyes, but the post appears to have been deleted.
Following the discovery of these posts, Love Island USA viewers took to social media demanding Ortega be removed from the villa, just like Yulissa was earlier this season. And, despite show narrator Iain Stirling's announcement that “Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation,” it looks like the producers listened.
While Cierra has not addressed the comments herself since leaving the Villa, her parents have responded to her removal with a statement posted to her Instagram Stories. In the statement, the pair acknowledged what had happened but also asked for compassion for their daughter, who they had yet to see, as she had not yet returned home.
They said: “As Cierra’s parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives. We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasn’t seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who lover her.
“We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surface. We understand why people upset and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now now has gone far beyond that.
“The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it’s heartbreaking. 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’s hasn’t had the chance to process of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she’l face this with honesty, growth and grace.
“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. Thank you to those who’ve continued to show love, even when it’s not easy. With love, her family.”
Cierra is the second Love Island USA contestant to be removed this series following unearthing of racial slurs. Earlier in the series, Yulissa Escobar was removed from the Villa in the second episode after it was discovered she had repeatedly used the N-word during a podcast interview prior to appearing on the show.
Since her departure she has apologized for her actions.
