'Love Island USA' Star Cierra Ortega's Exit From Hit Reality Series: What You Need to Know

Love Island USA is down another contestant.

Sunday, the latest episode of the American take on the U.K.-originating reality series, hosted by Ariana Madix and streaming on Peacock, featured confirmation that the production would be moving forward without Cierra Ortega, whose family has issued a statement calling for “compassion” and “basic human decency.”

Below, we take a closer look.

What happened to Love Island USA contestant Cierra Ortega?

In recent days, alleged social media posts from Ortega have resurfaced. One such post, an alleged screenshot of which can be seen here, included the use of an ethnic slur.

“I can also be a little ch*nky when I laugh/smile so I love getting a mini brow lift to open up my eyes and get that snatched look,” the post read.

What did Love Island USA say about the Cierra Ortega controversy?

As of this writing, the series has not directly addressed the controversy. However, Ortega's departure was somewhat quietly announced in the newest episode.

“Welcome back to Love Island USA,” the narrator said about 15 minutes into the 30th episode of the show’s seventh season on Sunday. “Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation, leaving Nic [Vansteenberghe] officially single.”

Vansteenberghe reacted to Ortega’s exit by initially stating that his “strongest connection” was now gone, though he was seemingly feeling much better about the whole ordeal by the end of the episode.

“Right before Cierra had left, my mind was clear,” he said at one point in the episode. “I knew what the future would look like. Now I’m lost.”

What did Cierra Ortega say about her exit from Love Island USA?

Thus far, Ortega hasn't shared a public statement of her own. According to an Instagram-shared statement attributed to her family, however, Ortega will “face this with honesty” soon.

“As Cierra’s parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives,” reads the family statement, shared Sunday. “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 love her.”

The statement continued, “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now has gone far beyond that.”

Ortega’s family went on to mention “threats,” “cruel messages,” and “attacks” they said were “uncalled for” amid the controversy.

“No one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made,” the statement read. “While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. She hasn’t had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself.”

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