17-07-2025
Love Island USA 's Pepe Reacts to Claim He Only Dates Blondes
Originally appeared on E! Online
This gentleman doesn't necessarily prefer blondes.
Though Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez was coupled up with not one, not two, but three blonde women on Love Island USA, the retired basketball player set the record straight on the claim he's only interested in blondes.
"I don't have a type," Pepe exclusively told E! News, before describing his past partners outside of the villa. "I've dated three women in my life—well, I guess now four. They have all looked completely different."
And although current partner Iris Kendall—with whom he placed fourth during the season seven finale on July 13—has light hair just like his Love Island exes Hannah Fields and Gracyn Blackmore, Pepe clarified it wasn't their appearances that caught his eye.
"I did go in there and just said, 'I'm going to lead with my heart and not my head,'" the Madrid native explained. "I just kept going for sweet, genuine, caring women. And for whatever reason, they were all blonde, but that was just what my heart was going for."
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And now that they're out of the villa, Pepe plans to continue to pursue his romance with Iris.
"We both kind of date the same way, where you date one person and you ride out that wave with them until it either continues or just dies down slowly," Pepe shared. "We just want to see what happens. We want to try to date like we normally would have two months ago, before this craziness."
While Pepe aims to "see where it goes" with Iris, he hopes to continue to be friends with Hannah, with whom he developed a strong bond before she was dumped from the villa.
"I appreciate the time I had with Hannah," he added. "The time we had in there, whatever amount of days it was, it feels like a lot longer, but you continue to live the experience and continue to move on. Just happy I stayed and got to meet Iris."
Read on to check in on other couples in the Love Island franchise.
Uma Jammen & Wil Anderson: EngagedAmaya Espinal & Bryan Arenales: Still TogetherOlandria Carthen & Nic Vansteenberghe: Still TogetherIris Kendall & Pepe Garcia Gonzalez: Still TogetherKordell Beckham & Serena Page: Still TogetherLeah Kateb & Miguel Harichi: Still TogetherJaNa Craig & Kenny Rodriguez: Still TogetherJosh Ritchie & Sophie Piper: Still TogetherMillie Court & Liam Reardon: Back TogetherCely Vazquez & Johnny Middlebrooks: SplitZac Mirabelli & Elizabeth Weber: SplitDylan Curry & Alex Stewart: SplitCaro Viee & Ray Gantt: SplitKyra Green & Cashel Barnett: SplitWeston Richey & Emily Salch: SplitJess Harding & Sammy Root: SplitFinley Tapp & Paige Turley: SplitLuke Trotman & Siânnise Fudge: SplitCallum Jones & Molly Smith: SplitNas Majeed & Eva Zapico: SplitLuke Mabbott & Demi Jones: SplitChed Uzor & Jess Gale: SplitAmber Gill & Greg O'Shea: SplitMolly-Mae Hague & Tommy Fury: Back TogetherSolve the daily Crossword
