Overview

• Ortega directly apologized to the Asian community in a video she framed as accountability rather than a simple apology
• She said she immediately deleted a 2024 post after a follower informed her that the term she’d used was a racial slur
• Ortega refuted recent screenshots suggesting she refused to remove the slur from her vocabulary and stressed her commitment to personal growth
• Her midseason exit during Episode 30 left partner Nic Vansteenberghe officially single and highlighted the show’s enforcement of conduct standards
• Fans and former contestants are calling for clearer vetting processes and conduct guidelines after multiple racism-related ejections