Love Island USA's Amaya 'Papaya' Gives Rare Update on 'Juicy' Private Relationship With Her 'Best Friend': 'He Makes Me Feel Safe'

Amaya "Papaya" Espinal may have found love after leaving the Love Island USA villa, but she's still keeping the details of her romance largely under wraps.

During an exclusive chat with OK! about her latest partnership with Corona Sunbrew, the Season 7 fan favorite shares a rare update on her private relationship, revealing she's happier than ever with her mystery man.

"I'm really, really happy," Amaya gushes. "It's the happiness of the relationship that's making me glow. It's also the Corona Sunbrew that's making me glow!"

"But I really am happy. He makes me happy. He makes me feel safe. That's my best friend," she continues before adding with a laugh, "And it's juicy."

Though Amaya isn't revealing her boyfriend's identity, she did share the qualities that ultimately made her fall for him — especially after entering the villa searching for love.

"I guess just patience, and also priorities," she explains. "Prioritizing his family — the way he takes care of his family — is something that makes me be like, 'Oh my... so cute.'"

"Making sure that he's in the right mindset and that his priorities are together... that's something that made me really fall in love with him," she adds.

While Amaya admitted she initially thought, "Oh shoot, here we go again," when the trailer for Love Island: Beyond the Villa dropped, she quickly shifted into excitement over letting fans see another side of her life.

"I'm excited for the audience to see different parts of my life — my music journey, me in my city," she mentions. "There's going to be a lot of tea that's spilled."

Filming the Peacock spinoff was also a much different experience than living inside the famous villa.

"It was definitely two different types of experiences," she explains "You have these big camera crews following you around, but I was working with the camera crew for about six months. We had been filming since August 2025. After a while, you get used to them. You get used to the production team, and it's kind of like they're not there anymore. The first day it was like, 'Wait, whoa,' but after a while I was just like, 'OK.'"

The reality star believes staying authentic throughout it all is what continues to resonate with viewers.

"Being yourself is the best way because that's what's going to make it a main-character moment," she says.

Off-camera, Amaya credits both her mother and a heartbreaking personal loss for shaping her optimistic outlook.

"I would definitely say my mom played a major factor in my positive mindset," she tells OK!. "I also experienced the loss of a loved one two years ago. It was so unexpected, and he was extremely young."

"That just showed me that tomorrow is never promised," she continued. "Why would I sit here moping around and being so sad when tomorrow isn't promised? You never know if you're going to be here or not. Life is a precious gift, and I would never want that to be taken away so easily."

As her fanbase continues to grow, Amaya has also learned how to protect her peace online.

"It's more about having healthy boundaries and not digesting things that you're not meant to digest," she notes. "Sometimes when I see negative comments about myself... man, I have to give them their flowers. I have to laugh. You know what? You're a little bit funny. It's OK to laugh at yourself and not take life so seriously."

Alongside the release of Love Island: Beyond the Villa, Amaya teamed up with Corona Sunbrew, saying the collaboration felt like a natural fit.

"I feel like Corona Sunbrew and my personality just go hand in hand because we're both very vibrant. We're both very fun. We're not afraid to try something new, and that's what Corona Sunbrew is all about with its flavor, boldness and vibrantness," she quips. "Corona Sunbrew will never do you wrong."

As part of the campaign, the reality star helped curate a once-in-a-lifetime fan getaway inspired by Beyond the Villa.

"I think it's extremely important to keep building that relationship and showing back the love to the audience and my supporters because, at the end of the day, if it wasn't for them, I would not be in the position that I'm currently in," Amaya expresses. "I'm really excited for the special Papaya who's going to win this special trip. He or she, over the age of 21, is going to get a curated Beyond the Villa experience, dinner with me, and who knows? Maybe we're going to have a couple little singing sessions."

Fans can enter the Corona Sunbrew sweepstakes through July 31 by texting SUNBREW to 20102. One lucky winner and a guest will receive a three-day, two-night trip to Los Angeles that includes a stay at a Beyond the Villa filming location, a styling session, professional photoshoot, luxury dinner and a meet-and-greet with Amaya.