Love Island USA contestant Cierra Ortega has left the villa, citing “personal reasons” after old social media posts that included a racial slur emerged.
The 2015 post included a video about Botox treatments, and contained a derogatory term towards the Asian community, with Cierra referencing her own eyes. Since the resurfaced post went viral, Cierra has lost thousands of followers on social media. Before, she had close to one million followers, and her count stands at 687,000 at time of writing.
Cierra's parents have published a statement about the impact the backlash has had on them as a family and asking for compassion.
“As Cierra’s parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives,” they wrote. “We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasn’t seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who love her.”
“We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now has gone far beyond that. The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it’s heartbreaking. It’s uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made.”
They added that Cierra Ortega “still hasn't had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself”.
“We know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she’ll face this with honesty, growth, and grace,” the parents added. “While she’ll always be our little girl, she’s also a woman, one who will take responsibility in her own time and her own voice
“Until then, we’re simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency. Not just for her, but for everyone caught in the middle of this. Thank you to those who’ve continued to show love, even when it’s not easy.”
Love Island USA also had to issue a reminder to fans to “be kind” to contestants after the backlash against Cierra.
“THE KEYWORD IN LOVE ISLAND IS... LOVE,” the statement reads. “WE LOVE OUR FANS. WE LOVE OUR ISLANDERS, WE DON'T LOVE CYBERBULLYING, HARASSMENT OR HATE.”
This comes after fellow Love Island USA Yulissa Escobar also exited the show, similarly, due to a video of her using a racial slur back in 2021 on a podcast. She later apologised, explaining that she used the term "ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it".
Yulissa also explained that she had received death threats in the wake of the re-emergence of the video, and that she “came back to a warzone” after leaving the villa.
"I've taken the time to reflect, to learn, and to grow," she said. “Growth means recognising when you were wrong, even if it's uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and accountability.”
