Latest news with #Yulissa
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cierra Ortega controversy: Why did Cierra get kicked off 'Love Island'?
Cierra Ortega has suddenly left the "Love Island USA" villa a week before the finale. The Arizona bombshell entered Season 7 on Day 2 and was coupled up with Nicolas "Nic" Vansteenberghe, a 24-year-old registered nurse and model from Jacksonville, Florida. Cierra and Nic were the first and only couple on the Island, at the time of Episode 25, to have become closed off. Nic is now "officially single" after Cierra was abruptly removed from the show due to "a personal situation." Here's what happened to Cierra on "Love Island USA," why Cierra was sent home and what Cierra said. During "Love Island USA" Season 7 Episode 30, narrator Iain Stirling announced that "Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation." Cierra was abruptly removed from "Love Island USA" due to "a personal situation." The marketing professional from Phoenix was recently getting a lot of backlash due to Instagram stories and posts with racial slurs that had resurfaced. Similar to former Islander Yulissa, Cierra may have been removed due to racial slurs she used against East Asian people. When describing her Botox on her social media, Cierra said she loved how it made her eyes look and used a derogatory racial slur aimed at Asian people. She used that same slur in a 2015 Instagram post of herself at the top of "A" Mountain in Tempe. The word Cierra used originated in the 19th century as a racial slur against people of Chinese descent. It was intended to insult someone's appearance, particularly their eyes. It's now more broadly used against people of Asian descent. Cierra's family commented on the situation on Cierra's Instagram account. "We're not here to justify or ignore what's surfaced," the Instagram story from her account @ on July 6 states. "We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what's happening online right now has gone far beyond that." They went on to say that the threats, cruel messages and attacks on her family, friends and supporters are heartbreaking and uncalled for, no matter the mistake. "While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away," the story said. "She hasn't had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she'll face this with honesty, growth, and grace." Former Islander Belle-A shared a story on Sunday, July 6, as well. "As a proud Asian American woman, I'm deeply appreciative of the Love Island USA producers for taking a stand and making it clear that racism of any kind is not tolerated," Belle-A wrote. "When I first saw what my fellow Islander said on their social media pages, I was incredibly heartbroken. But I wanted to wait until they left the villa and were able to address the situation, genuinely apologize and commit to learning from the experience before deciding how our relationship would look moving forward." But as more screenshots surfaced, she wrote, she could no longer support this person and unfollowed them. And she said she hoped the situation would help shed light on the issue of anti-Asian hate. Cierra is 25 years old. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2021 with a degree in Care, Health, Society, a minor in Business Administration and in Fashion and Retail Consumer Sciences. When does 'Love Island USA' end: When is the 'Love Island USA' finale 2025? You can stream "Love Island USA" 2025 exclusively on Peacock. A premium monthly plan on Peacock costs $7.99, or there is a deal for a premium annual plan at $24.99 for one year. The premium plus plan, which is ad-free, costs $13.99 per month or $139.99 a year. Reach the reporter at Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on Bluesky @ Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What did Cierra from 'Love Island' say? Why she left the villa
Business Insider
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
'Love Island USA' is finally a hit after 7 seasons. Now it must decide what to do with contestants accused of racism.
" Love Island USA" season seven is the TV event of the summer, after earlier seasons failed to grab viewers. Spotlight, a publication run by the entertainment data company Luminate, reported that the season, which started on June 3, had been streamed over a billion times in its second week of release, and was close to rivaling Netflix's hit dating show, "Love Is Blind." But the success of "Love Island USA" is being tested after two contestants, Yulissa and Cierra, were removed from the show after being accused of sharing racists posts on social media. Fans are calling on the show to carry out better background checks on future cast members. How its makers respond comes at a time when some viewers expect businesses to uphold progressive values, while others complain that popular culture is too "woke." Here's what to know about the controversy surrounding "Love Island USA." Yulissa and Cierra were removed from 'Love Island USA' over racist social media posts When the lineup for season seven of "Love Island USA" was released, fans found and reshared two clips of the cast member Yulissa Escobar saying the n-word. In episode two, she was removed from the show off-camera without explanation from the show or its distributor, Peacock. The show's narrator, Iain Stirling, said during the episode, "Yulissa has left the villa," referring to where the cast live. Last week, Yulissa shared her side of the story on TikTok, and said the producers told her on the second day of filming that they were cutting her because of a video that had resurfaced. Yulissa said they didn't specify which video. Contestants on set are cut off from the world, and Yulissa said she had to wait two days to get her phone back and find that viewers were calling her racist. A representative for "Love Island USA" did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Yulissa apologized for saying the word in the video and other posts, and said she didn't know its meaning. Last week, fans called for Cierra to be removed after screenshots emerged of her using a slur against East Asian people in two separate Instagram posts. One of the posts was reshared in a slideshow Cierra posted on TikTok in 2020. Cierra was removed from the show on Sunday, the week before the season finale, after fans complained for days and signed a petition calling for her removal. On Monday, it had over 17,000 signatures. Stirling said: "Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation," again without further explanation. Cierra's parents posted a statement on her Instagram on Sunday, telling fans to stop sending cruel messages to her and her friends and family. "We know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she'll face this with honesty, growth, and grace," they wrote. How to manage reality TV contestants' pasts is a headache for producers In the years since George Floyd's death sparked widespread protests and a national reckoning, resistance to political correctness has grown. In response, many institutions — from universities to major retailers like Walmart and Target — have scaled back their commitments to DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, in turn prompting backlash from liberals. The situation on "Love Island USA" has echoes of how the cast member Danny Bibby — who dated Kaz Kamwi, a Black woman, on the 2021 season of "Love Island" — was criticized after posts resurfaced of him using the n-word. Fans criticized ITV, the production company and distributor of "Love Island," for not removing him from the show. At the time, a representative of "Love Island" told MailOnline that Danny apologized for his "inappropriate remark." " Love Island USA," broadcast on Peacock and owned by Comcast, is a business, too, and just as susceptible to public backlash. Perhaps that's why producers acted swiftly to remove contestants accused of racism.
Mint
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Not Cierra Ortega, THIS Islander was first to be kicked out from Love Island USA Season 7 over racial slur. Find out who
Love Island USA Season 7 contestant Cierra Ortega made headlines after an old social media post resurfaced, revealing a racial slur targeting the Asian community. The post sparked widespread backlash online, with some users also calling out fellow contestant Huda Mustafa for a similar remark. Eventually, Cierra was removed from the Love Island villa in the latest episode. However, what many may not know is that Cierra wasn't actually the first islander to be pulled out of the show over a past racial controversy. Shortly after the season premiered, another promising contestant was quietly removed for a similar issue. Yulissa Escobar, who was among the first ones on the Fiji Villa, was made to exit the show in the second episode. Much like Cierra Ortega, the reason behind her exit wasn't explained by the makers. It happened after her old videos of her using racial slurs went viral on the internet. In her now-viral videos, she was seen using racial slurs including the N-word, during two different podcast appearances. The 27-year-old clarified it recently. quoted her saying in a TikTok video, that she "can't share certain things, but I will share the majority of what happened" about her sudden exit. "So, regular a-- day. I did not wake up in the middle of the night, they didn't get me in the f------ morning. They didn't drag my a-- out of bed," Yulissa said. Yulissa revealed she was "just starting to have fun" on Love Island USA when she was unexpectedly pulled from the villa. She was called to the front, thinking it was for a confessional, but was instead met by a producer who asked her to remove her mic. "I honestly got scared—I thought something had happened to a family member. I didn't know what was going on. They didn't really tell me anything, they just said, you know, a video resurfaced [on the] internet and it's not looking too good," she reportedly said. "Honestly, I wasn't even crying or anything, I just wanted to know what was going on." Producers told her that a resurfaced video online was causing concern but didn't provide details. Isolated in a hotel without her phone, Yulissa said she was "losing my f----- mind because I didn't know what was going on." After she got her phone back, she saw the clip and said, as reported by the outlet, 'I was like, f---, no. I can't believe people think I'm racist. I mean, I get it, I said a word that I should have not said, but man, I wish I would've never said that." "It is what it is. I can't go back in time. I am sorry that I said that word." In a TikTok caption about her exit, Yulissa wrote, "Plot twist: I wasn't dragged out in the dark. I walked out in broad daylight, head high, lashes on." After her exit, Yulissa issued a public apology on her Instagram account. In a lengthy post on June 6, Yulissa said she wanted to "apologise for using a word I had no right in using." "In those clips, I used a word I never should've used, a racial slur. I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it," her post read. "I wasn't trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognise now that intention doesn't excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It's tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use." Escobar clarified that she 'was speaking casually in conversation, not thinking deeply or critically about what I was saying,' during the podcasts. "But that doesn't take away from how wrong it was. The truth is, I didn't know better then, but I do now. I've taken the time to reflect, to learn, and to grow from that moment." Meanwhile, Cierra Ortega is yet to personally react to the controversy. Her parents issued a statement on her Instagram handle after receiving 'threats, cruel messages' against her and the family.
Pink Villa
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Meet the Cast of Love Island Season 7: Olandia Carthen to Ace Greene
Love Island season 7 has officially returned to the screens after a bit of a delay. The contestants in the first week of the show itself witnessed drama, tears, and romance, hence getting the audience excited over what is to come. While it is too early to predict if the new season will top the old one or not, the entry of two new bombshells has clearly set their intentions to make the season watchable. As for the cast members, Love Island USA has five men, six women, and two new entries. Out of this, the viewers are already aware of six pairs made after the recoupling. Meet the cast members of Love Island USA season 7 As for the women who have entered the reality TV show, the cast includes Chelley, 27, from Orlando, Florida Huda, 24, from Raleigh, North Carolina Belle-A, 22, from Honolulu, Hawaii Olandria, 27, from Decatur, Alabama Yulissa, 27, from Miami, Florida Cierra, 25, from Arizona As for the men of the show, the entries include: Ace, 22, from Los Angeles, California Taylor, 24, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Nicolas, 24, from Jacksonville, Florida Austin, 26, from Northville, Michigan Jeremiah, 25, from Los Angeles, California Charlie, 27, from the UK Out of the above-mentioned cast members, Yulissa has been eliminated, and Cierra from Arizona has been voted as the Bombshell. While no boys have yet to bag their bags and head home, Charlie was voted the bombshell. As for the new contestants, Hannah, 23 from Tucson, Arizona and Amaya, 25, from New York, joined the other contestants in the fourth episode of Love Island, when the cast played the steamy challenge titled "Fourth Base." The show is available to stream on Peacock all days except for Wednesday. The new episodes are available to stream at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Love Island USA's Yulissa Escobar Apologizes For Using Racial Slur After Being Dumped From The Villa: 'Growth Means Recognizing When You Were Wrong'
Yulissa Escobar is reflecting on her past and apologizing for using racial slurs after being dumped from the Love Island USA villa. Days after Yulissa entered the villa for Season 7 of the Peacock dating reality series, the former Islander is breaking her silence on why she was removed from the show. More from Deadline 'Love Island USA': Yulissa Escobar Exits The Villa Amid Backlash Over Resurfaced Racist Comments 'Love Island USA' Season 7 Cast Photos: Peacock Reveals First 10 Islanders 'Love Island USA Aftersun' Returns With Sophie Monk As Host On Peacock 'First, I want to apologize for using a word I had no right in using,' she said in a statement on Instagram. 'Podcast clips from years ago have recently resurfaced, and I want to address it directly.' She continued, 'In those clips, I used a word I never should've used, a racial slur. I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it. I wasn't trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn't excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It's tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use.' RELATED: Yulissa noted that when she did the podcast she 'was speaking casually in conversation, not thinking deeply or critically about what I was saying,' adding, 'But that doesn't take away from how wrong it was. The truth is, I didn't know better then, but I do now. I've taken the time to reflect, to learn, and to grow from that moment.' The former Islanders alleges she has 'changed a lot since then' and adds that 'growth means recognizing when you were wrong, even if it's uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and accountability.' 'I'm choosing to speak for myself because I take full ownership of my actions,' she says. 'Do not listen to the fake statements. This is my official statement. This is me, speaking directly to you. To those who are disappointed or offended, I understand and I apologize. I am sorry.' It was in the second episode of Love Island USA Season 7 that the show addressed her exit with narrator Iain Stirling saying, 'Yulissa has left the villa.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
