‘Love Island USA' Season 7 winner Amaya Espinal addresses Cierra Ortega's exit amid racism scandal
Espinal, affectionately dubbed 'Amaya Papaya' by viewers, said of Ortega's abrupt removal, 'We all genuinely did not know. We did not get the chance to say goodbye. We weren't able to see her pack her bags. It literally just happened in the flash of an eye. It felt very unreal.'
Ortega exited the series after screenshots of past Instagram posts surfaced, allegedly showing her using a racial slur to describe people of Asian descent.
Following backlash, Ortega posted an apology video saying she 'had no idea that the word held as much pain, as much harm, and came with the history that it did.'
Espinal, a cardiac nurse from New York, responded by stressing the need for inclusive language. 'I definitely do think words matter, and everyone should be respected,' she said. 'I just hope that she learns from her consequences. She is a grown woman, so hopefully moving forward, this should not be repeated.'
Espinal also reflected on the significance of her win with Arenales as the show's first Latino couple to take the title. 'My parents literally came from the Dominican Republic and didn't have the best upbringing. So, Latino culture to me is very, very huge. I feel blessed, and I feel so much gratitude.'
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