“I had no idea that the word held as much pain”— Love Island USA star Cierra apologizes for using a racial slur

Love Island USA fans went into a frenzy when Cierra Ortega exited the island abruptly, just when she closed things off with Nic, her partner from the get-go. Her exit was already anticipated because an Instagram story she put using a racial slur resurfaced online.

Yulissa Escobar was ousted from the Love Island USA villa earlier this season for the same reason. A clip from a podcast she spoke on showed her using a racial slur, and once it resurfaced, the producers decided against keeping her. So the fans saw Cierra meeting the same fate after seeing the frenzy her racial post created.

In a video Cierra shared on her Instagram on July 9, she addressed the controversy and apologized.

"I had no idea that the word held as much pain, as much harm, and came with the history that it did, or I never would have used it," she said.

She stated that this wasn't an excuse and that she understood that excuses or intentions didn't justify impact and ignorance.

---

How Cierra Ortega from Love Island USA took accountability for using a racial slur

In the video Cierra posted on her Instagram, she said that she had been in the US for about 48 hours after returning from the island where Love Island USA was being shot. She said now that she had the time to process it, she could address it without being emotional, and said that she wasn't the victim in her situation.

"While I was in the Villa, there were some posts that resurfaced from my past where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term," she accepted.

She stated that she wanted to start by addressing the Asian community and anyone whom she had offended. She said she was "deeply" sorry and that she hadn't known that the word came with "pain" and "harm" because of the history that came with it, or she wouldn't have used it.

She further added that she didn't intend to hurt anyone when she used the word, but understood that that wasn't an excuse.

"Intent doesn't excuse ignorance. It just doesn't," she said.

She added that while she was sorry for her action, that wasn't an apology video, it was an accountability video. She also said that a lot of people online were saying that she doubled down on her use of the word and was indifferent to her action, but that wasn't the case.

Stating the truth, Cierra said that it was something that happened in the moment, and she had learned her lesson from it. She added that she had grown as an individual since that moment, and she tried her best to educate others like her as well.

In the video, the Love Island USA star also agreed with the producers' decision to ask her to exit the villa because she thought it was something that deserved punitive action, and the punishment was received. While at it, Cierra also addressed the online hate she has been harbouring since the incident.

"Family doesn’t feel safe in their own home," she noted.

She shared that she had received death threats and stated that there was no need to fight hate with hate. She thought that wasn't just and added that if people wanted to know if she had accepted her mistake and was acting differently, she wanted to tell them she was.

The Love Island USA star mentioned that she didn't ask them to forgive her, but to give her space to grow with "grace". She added that she didn't want to convince them on the video that she was a person who celebrated cultures and dynamics, but she wanted them to see her doing those things one day. She apologized for her mistake again and thanked everyone who was listening to the video.

---

For more updates on Love Island USA star Cierra Ortega, fans can follow her official Instagram handle, @cierra.ortega.