Overview

• Cierra Ortega released a video statement acknowledging her past use of an anti-Asian slur and saying she agrees with the decision to remove her from the Love Island USA villa.
• She asserted that she was unaware of the slur’s offensive history until a follower corrected her in 2024 and deleted the posts immediately.
• Ortega revealed that her family has faced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement threats and online harassment, including death threats.
• Ortega’s exit is the second this season over resurfaced racist remarks, following Yulissa Escobar’s midseason ejection for using the N-word.
• The controversy has prompted Peacock and fans to call for more rigorous background checks, clearer conduct guidelines and stronger safeguards against harassment.