- Sean Reifel, a single dad and former Bethlehem police officer, quit his job to compete on Love Island USA season 8, sparking controversy with local officials.
- Bethlehem’s police chief and mayor publicly criticized Sean’s decision, but his family defended him as a brave opportunity for personal growth and love.
- Sean’s sister and mom defended his choice online, while reality TV veteran Derrick Levasseur argued the police department missed a chance to build community connections through his participation.
We may only be two episodes in on Love Island USA season 8, but it seems that Sean Reifel is already a standout, thanks to his backstory. Here’s the rundown: Sean is a single parent to a 2-year-old son and is known as “Officer Sexy Pants” in his hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was once a cop in the town’s police department…until he decided to quit his job and become an Islander on the reality show’s latest season.
After he received criticism from his former boss and the mayor of Bethlehem, Sean’s family is stepping in to defend his decision.
Underneath a social post from E! News, his sister, Brice Marie, commented, “Sean’s sister here. This could have been a great opportunity for the mayor and police department to connect with the community, generate positive publicity for the town, and help improve perceptions of law enforcement.”
She continued, “Instead, they chose a response that will likely reinforce the stereotypes they should be working to change. That said, I couldn’t be more excited for my brother and this amazing opportunity. We’ll be cheering him on every step of the way.”
Brice’s comment comes after Sean’s former boss revealed she wasn’t exactly thrilled with his decision to leave the force. During an interview with The Morning Call, Bethlehem’s chief of police, Michelle Knott, revealed why he technically wasn’t allowed to take a leave to be on the show, which ultimately led to him quitting.
“At this time, I don’t think there’d be a department that would be willing to allow someone to leave for ‘x’ amount of weeks to go on a television show when everyone’s hurting right now and overtime is being utilized to fill those gaps,” she said. “Officers are getting burnt out. It’s just a bad look to me.”
On top of that, Bethlehem’s mayor, J. William Reynolds, publicly slammed Sean’s exit while speaking to local news outlet WHTM. “I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer,” he said, in part.
Sean’s mom, Beth, echoed Brice’s sentiment and cleared the air about what really happened in the comments section of a separate Instagram post from Hollywood Life, writing, in part, “They didn’t pay for a full academy for Sean. Sean came to PA after being a Contra Sheriff Deputy since April 2021 and they paid to put him through a full academy. I’m not saying they didn’t do any training but they also weren’t fully honest about all the details. I’m proud of my son. It is a brave decision to [put] yourself out there to find love under the microscope of the world.”
Bethlehem’s mayor and police department have yet to respond to his family’s comments.
