“I honestly got scared”— Love Island USA’s Yulissa clears the air about how she was removed after racial slur controversy

Yulissa Escobar is now addressing the circumstances behind her early exit from Love Island USA season 7. The 27-year-old entered the Fiji villa during the premiere but was no longer seen in episode 2. Peacock did not release a public explanation at the time.

On July 4, 2025, Yulissa posted a TikTok video explaining her removal, which was related to the resurfaced podcast clips where she used racial slurs. Describing the moment production contacted her, she said:

“When they asked me to take my mic off, I kind of figured something serious was kind of happening. I honestly got scared.”

In the podcast clips obtained by TMZ on June 3, 2025, she was heard using the N-word multiple times while speaking with other guests. In that segment, she asked:

“Are you that [N-word] that controls what she wears?”

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Yulissa Escobar explains her removal from Love Island USA following resurfaced videos

A routine morning before her departure

While talking about her exit on TikTok, Yulissa Escobar stated that the day began normally, with no indication of what was to come. She explained that it was a "regular" morning where she woke up, ate the breakfast Ace had made for her, and followed her usual routine. She also noted she had just started getting more comfortable inside the Love Island USA villa.

“I was just getting comfortable, just coming out of my shell... I was upset that I got pulled out on that day because I was like d**n I was just starting to have fun,” she stated.

According to her, she and fellow islander Ace had plans to introduce a group game. She said they had been "plotting" to make things more dynamic in the villa by suggesting activities like spin the bottle. She added that:

“People were still acting like closed off with their couple... I wanted to get to know everyone."

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Pulled aside by production

Later that day, she said she was called to the front of the villa and believed it was for a routine interview, assuming that it was a standard "confessional" or beach hut session. However, when she arrived, a producer asked her to remove her microphone.

At that moment, she said she sensed something unusual and initially believed it was related to a "family member." She was then told that a video had resurfaced online and that it did not look favorable.

“They just said that, you know, a video resurfaced the internet. And you know, it’s not... looking too good.”

When she asked what this meant for her involvement in Love Island USA, the producer confirmed that she would be sent home.

“I didn’t really know what video, what I was saying, what I did. So I was like in the unknown,” she mentioned.

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Isolation and realization after leaving the Love Island USA villa

After being removed, Yulissa said she stayed at a hotel in Fiji without access to her phone for two days. She felt overwhelmed and said she was "losing [her] f**king mind" during that period.

Once she regained access to her device, she saw the video in question and reacted with shock, describing it as "a lot to take in." Yulissa acknowledged the impact of the video.

“I get it. I said a word that I should have not said... I wish I would have never said that,” she noted.

She shared that her mother met her halfway through the return trip to avoid her flying the entire distance alone. She ended her video saying she could not share every detail at this time:

“Maybe one day I could go into details, but not today. But that was the story.”

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Fans can stream Love Island USA anytime on Peacock.