Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for season 7 of “Love Island USA.”
An islander from “Love Island USA” season 7 has unexpectedly exited the villa.
During episode 30 of Peacock’s hit dating show, the islanders participated in another recoupling that resulted in two contestants packing their bags. The villa also learned that another islander had to exit the show.
Here’s what happened on “Love Island USA” season 7, episode 30.
Who went home on ‘Love Island USA’?
Zak Srakaew, a 29-year-old international model from Thailand who resides in Manchester, England, was eliminated from “Love Island USA” season 7 during episode 30. Elan Bibas, a 24-year-old tech consultant from Toronto who now lives in Miami was also dumped from the villa Sunday.
Cierra Ortega, a 25-year-old marketing consultant from Tucson, Arizona, also suddenly left the villa “due to a personal situation,” narrator Iain Stirling announced during the start of episode 30, Parade magazine reported.
Why did Cierra Ortega leave ‘Love Island USA’?
Ortega left the villa after she recently closed things off with fellow islander Nicolas Vansteenberghe, a 24-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida. The Peacock reality series announced a week before the season 7 finale that Ortega, 25, had left due to a “personal” situation.
But online, viewers resurfaced multiple posts of Ortega using a racist slur against Asian people, including one as recently as 2023, according to People magazine.
USA TODAY, The Enquirer’s sister publication, reached out to Peacock for comment.
Early the night of Sunday, July 6, Ortega’s parents released a statement to her Instagram Stories on her behalf, noting Ortega and her loved ones have been threatened and sent “cruel messages.”
“This has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives. 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,” the statement read. “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters.”
The post continued: “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.”
“Love Island” contestants do not have contact with the outside world while on the series, including access to their phones. Ortega’s parents said that though she has left the villa, she has not returned home yet.
“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,” the post continued.
Ortega’s exit comes weeks after another contestant, Yulissa Escobar, was abruptly ousted from the villa, similarly with little explanation from season 7 producers. Fans of the show were in an uproar over resurfaced clips of her using a racial epithet on a podcast. She apologized days after the video surfaced, saying at the time she didn’t fully understand “the weight, history, or pain behind it.”
Who are the couples on ‘Love Island USA’ season 7?
When does the next ‘Love Island USA’ episode come out?
The next episode of “Love Island USA” season 7 drops Monday, July 7.
What time does ‘Love Island USA’ air?
New episodes drop at 9 p.m. ET.
When do ‘Love Island USA’ episodes drop?
New episodes of “Love Island USA” air daily from Thursday to Tuesday. “Love Island Aftersun,” the after show of the dating program, airs every Saturday.
The only day without a new episode is Wednesday.
Where to watch ‘Love Island USA’ season 7
“Love Island USA” season 7 is exclusively on Peacock.
When is the ‘Love Island USA’ finale?
The season 7 finale of “Love Island USA” arrives on Sunday, July 13.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘Love Island USA’ recap: Why did Cierra Ortega leave the villa? Who all went home?
Reporting by Haadiza Ogwude and Taijuan Moorman, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
