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. Although 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.
