‘Love Island USA’ Contestant Cierra Ortega Addresses Exit From Season 7 After Surfacing of Racist Post: “I Am Not a Victim”

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Cierra Ortega, the surprise factor on Love Island USA, has shared her thoughts following her exit from the seventh season of Peacock’s popular reality show, which took place a week before the final episode.

After spending approximately two days back in the U.S., and having some time to reflect, I feel composed enough to discuss this matter without being overly emotional as I’m not directly involved in this incident,” she started in a nearly five-minute video uploaded on Instagram.

In the July 6 broadcast, the show’s host, Iain Stirling, disclosed that Ortega departed the villa due to personal reasons, thereby making Nic Vansteenberg a confirmed bachelor since they were coupled up for most of their stay in the villa.

Details about Ortega’s sudden departure from Love Island USA were not provided, but it happened during an uproar following the resurfaced social media post where she used a racial slur. Fans of the show had been demanding her dismissal due to the offensive content in the post.

In her latest video, Ortega went on to say, “During my time at the Villa, some old posts of mine re-emerged where I unknowingly used a highly offensive and derogatory term. I want to make it clear that I am sincerely sorry to anyone I may have hurt or offended, especially the entire Asian community. The truth is, I was not aware of how much pain and harm this word carried, or its history. My intention was never malicious, but that does not excuse my ignorance. This is not an apology video, but rather a video about taking responsibility for my actions.

Currently, there are numerous images circulating, each with varying timestamps, which seem to reinforce a story. Initially, when people attempted to correct me, I may have given the impression of standing firm on my use of it, saying something like ‘Well, I guess I’ll still use it.’ However, that was not accurate. In reality, at that point, I understood the error, removed the word from my vocabulary, and that incident served as a valuable lesson for me. Since then, I’ve grown significantly as an individual and have made efforts to educate others about words that could unintentionally be offensive in their speech.

Ortega indicated her full agreement with the network’s choice to evict her from the Villa. In her opinion, such an action was indeed deserving of a penalty, and she is certain that the consequence has been duly imposed.

Apart from this, she’s spoken out against the online harassment she encountered following the reappearance of the racially charged posts, expressing concern about her family’s safety at home. Moreover, she’s disclosed that they’ve been subjected to threatening messages even to the extent of receiving death threats.

In the video, Ortega stated, “There’s no point in responding to hate with more hate.” He further explained, “I don’t believe this is justice. If you want to be assured that your voice is heard, that I apologize, and that I will change my ways, then rest assured, that’s exactly what I intend to do.

What I yearn for most is the opportunity to mature gracefully, even if you’re not ready to grant me forgiveness just yet. Instead of spending my time trying to prove to you that I am a beacon of light in this world, embracing diversity and celebrating various cultures, perhaps one day you’ll witness it for yourself. Once again, I apologize sincerely, and I extend my gratitude to anyone who is taking the time to listen.

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Previously on the Peacock series, contestant Yulissa Escobar was eliminated due to old clips of her using racial slurs being shared publicly. After her exit, she issued a statement saying, “Firstly, I want to express my apologies for uttering a word that I had no business using. Clips from my podcast years ago have been brought back up, and I feel it’s necessary to address this issue directly. In those clips, I used a racial slur that I should never have used. I didn’t fully comprehend the significance, history, or pain associated with it at the time. My intention was not to offend or cause harm, but I now recognize that good intentions don’t negate the impact. And the effect of that word is undeniable. It carries the weight of generations of suffering, and it is not something I have a right to use.

Currently, the seventh season of Love Island USA is available for streaming on Peacock. Ariana Madix has returned to host the show. As of Wednesday evening, the remaining Islander couples are Chelley and Ace, Huda and Chris, Olandria and Nic, Amaya and Bryan, and Iris and Pepe.

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2025-07-10 05:24