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Love Island USA season 7 contender, Cierra Ortega, officially left the villa after a resurfaced post of her using a racial slur stirred chaos offscreen. During the July 6 episode of the Peacock show, host Iain Stirling confirmed that Cierra had "left the villa due to a personal situation," adding that she had left her partner Nic Vansteenberghe "officially single."
While the show concluded Cierra's exit as a result of a "personal situation," netizens were aware of the truth behind the statement. They had been calling for Cierra's elimination for several episodes because they believed the show should not keep allowing someone who had used a racial slur to be part of it experiment. Consequently, they demanded her expulsion.
In the latest Love Island USA episode, Cierra took her leave. Meanwhile, Nic, who had recently made things official with her, struggled to decide his next move with just one week left before the season ends.
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Earlier in the series, Yulissa was also removed from the Peacock show after a video of her using a racial slur resurfaced online.
Love Island USA season 7 star Nic recouples with Olandria after Cierra leaves the villa
Cierra's exit was a direct consequence of the drama that ensued after a racist post from her social media resurfaced while she was filming in Fiji. In the post, Cierra discussed getting cosmetic surgeries. However, what fans found problematic was a word she had used to describe the shape of her eyes. Noting how insensitive the comment was to a certain community, they demanded Cierra's removal.
While the post stirred chaos outside, Cierra and the remaining Love Island USA islanders were oblivious to the current events. As per the format of the show, the contestants were encouraged to focus on finding connections while having no contact with the outside world until they officially left, which was when they got access to their phones and current news.
Earlier in season 7, Yulissa, who was introduced as an original islander, had to leave the show by the second episode due to reasons similar to Cierra's. Earlier this month, Yulissa took to her TikTok and revealed what had happened.
"I had gotten called to the front and then I met one of the producers and they asked me to take my mic off. I figured something serious was kind of happening. I honestly got scared. I thought something happened with a family member. They didn’t really tell me anything. They just said that a video resurfaced on the internet and it’s not looking too good," she explained.
The Love Island USA star added that she was not told "what video" had resurfaced. However, she became aware only after she was handed her phone two days later. Yulissa regretted her actions and apologized for hurting people's feelings.
"But I wish I would have never said that. It is what it is. I can’t go back in time. I am sorry that I said that word," she said.
Austin, who got eliminated in episode 27 of Love Island USA, found himself in a similar predicament after sparking controversy via social media. On July 5, 2025, he explained via his Instagram Stories that he had a "very dry sense of humor" and that he did not "think before sharing that content."
Austin continued, stating that it was never his intention to "hurt or upset anyone." He added that he valued and respected "all individuals and their perspectives."
In the July 6 episode, Cierra took her leave amid her scandal, leaving Nic alone. Although the male islander admitted to feeling "lost," he rekindled his connection with co-star Olandria. By the end of the episode, when it was Olandria's time to pick her partner during the recoupling ceremony, she chose to couple up with Nic.
While speaking to the Love Island USA cameras, she said that she was surprised at how frequently she and Nic crossed each other's paths. With that said, Olandria expressed excitement about her journey with him, especially now that his initial partner was no longer in the villa.
Stream Love Island USA episodes exclusively on Peacock.
