After backlash from Love Island USA fans, Cierra Ortega has officially left the villa. Fans of the show began pushing for her removal after social media posts surfaced showing she’d used a racial slur. Many fans pushed for her exit in the days leading up to it, and they have celebrated her exit from the show.
Ahead of the Season 7 finale, Ortega left the villa. Her former social media posts resurfaced, showing she’d used a racial slur several times. On the July 5 episode of the show, narrator Iain Stirling told viewers that Ortega left “due to a personal situation.”
Ortega is the second contestant to leave this season due to past social media use. Earlier this season, Yulissa Escobar left early after footage of her using the n-word surfaced.
‘Love Island USA’ fans have celebrated Cierra Ortega’s departure from the show
Many fans pushed to see Ortega leave the show, and they’ve celebrated the announcement of her exit.
“Finally,” wrote one Reddit user. “Good riddance.”
“Get this flaming racist off my favorite show!!!” wrote another person.
Another user shared a photo of Michael Jordan holding the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy with the caption, “I used to pray for times like these.”
Still, many viewers believe the show should have stated why Ortega was leaving.
“I wish the show would address it directly rather than just a casual ‘she left the villa due to a personal situation’ voice over,” one person wrote. “No, she was evicted because racist comments came to the surface. For the show to go on and on about anti bullying and ‘standing on business’ they don’t seem to really stand on business when it comes to racism especially against the Asian community.”
Others wished the show’s production team had done a better job vetting their contestants, as two contestants have left due to racist posts.
“If I had a nickel for every time a season 7 love island US cast member got kicked off for posting racial slurs on the internet I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it happened twice,” wrote one person.
Her parents responded to the backlash
Ortega has received a significant amount of online backlash. The widespread response prompted her parents to issue a statement.
“As Cierra’s parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives,” they wrote, per ABC News. “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.”
They said that while they are not excusing their daughter’s use of slurs, they want the backlash to stop.
“We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced,” their statement read. “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 confirmed that Ortega will take this as an opportunity to grow, and requested that the show’s viewers give her the space to do so.
