Cierra Ortega, a star on Love Island USA, has left the show, citing "personal reasons" as racial slurs she reportedly made in the past have resurfaced.
Her departure was announced by narrator Iain Stirling during episode 30 on Sunday, July 6, per PEOPLE.
Her abrupt departure left fellow contestant Nic Vansteenberghe single and the rest of the cast stunned.
The 25-year-old content creator’s exit came after multiple racist social media posts she allegedly made resurfaced, including at least two containing slurs offensive to Chinese people.
Ortega’s parents addressed the scandal in a statement on her Instagram Stories, calling it “one of the most painful weeks of our lives.”
“We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced,” they wrote. “We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now has gone far beyond that.”
They continued: “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.”
Her family added: “While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. 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.”
“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.”
They ended with gratitude to those who continue to show “love and support” during the controversy.
Ortega reportedly used a racial slur in a January 2015 post describing her smile and again in February 2023 while getting Botox, leading to her losing over 200,000 followers within 48 hours, according to the Daily Mail.
A petition demanding her removal from Season 7 garnered over 17,000 signatures before her exit.
Following her departure, Belle-A Walker, who had been dumped from the villa after Ortega’s arrival, praised producers for “taking a stand” against racism in an Instagram Stories post.
“When I first saw what my fellow Islander said on their social media pages, I was incredibly heartbroken,” Walker wrote.
“But I wanted to wait until they left the villa and were able to address the situation, genuinely apologize, and commit to learning from the experience before deciding how our relationship would look moving forward.”
“As screenshots continued to surface, it became clear that I could no longer support this person, and made the decision to unfollow them a couple of days ago,” Walker continued.
“Asian hate is oftentimes overlooked and dismissed. But being a first-generation American, I have personally witnessed and experienced how real and hurtful comments like these are.”
Walker expressed hope that the moment would highlight “anti-Asian hate” and the “hardship” her family has faced, adding: “I do not condone bigotry or racism of any kind. But I also don’t condone hate either. Please think twice before leaving unkind comments to or about this person. I love you all so much.”