Cierra Ortega, one of the most popular contestants on Love Island USA season seven, has exited the American dating reality show. According to US media, show's narrator Iain Stirling confirmed the news via a voiceover that Cierra "left the villa due to a personal situation".
But social media is speculating that the 25-year-old content creator from Phoenix, Arizona, was dropped from the show after a series of her old social media posts using racial slurs, including a term used to insult Asians, resurfaced.
What's Happening
A section of social media users were demanding that Cierra Ortega be removed from Love Island USA after a series of the allegedly offensive posts resurfaced.
Many of them took screenshots from Cierra Ortega's Instagram posts where she had used the racial slur. According to these social media users, she had used the racial slur ch**** more than once in her social media feed.
What Cierra Ortega's Parents Said About The Controversy
After Cierra Ortega left Love Island USA, her parents addressed the controversy on her official Instagram page. In an Instagram Story, her parents said while they weren't trying to justify Cierra Ortega's actions, the "threats and cruel messages" on social media were uncalled for.
"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 said.
Her parents said Cierra Ortega is yet to see the online reaction to the controversy, adding she will face the backlash with "honesty, growth, and grace".
"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," they wrote.
Previously, Yulissa Escobar was kicked off Love Island USA season seven after two episodes for using racial slurs in old podcast clips that resurfaced online.
In A Nutshell
Love Island USA contestant Cierra Ortega has exited the season seven of the dating reality TV series following social media backlash over her old posts where she allegedly used racial slurs. While the show's makers didn't spell out the reason behind her departure, the update came days after a section of social media users called for her ouster from the show in the wake of her previous posts with racial slurs that resurfaced online.