ENTERTAINMENTLove Island USA’s Cierra Ortega Leaves Villa Suddenly for 'Personal Reasons' Amid Slur Controversy
Love Island USA's Cierra Ortega made a sudden Season 7 exit after fans demanded her removal when social media posts showed her allegedly using racial slurs.
A bombshell has left the villa.
Love Island USA star Cierra Ortega made a sudden exit from Season 7 after fans demanded her removal when resurfaced social media posts showed her using a racial slur.
'Love Island USA' Star Cierra Ortega Suddenly Left During Season 7
Cierra Ortega developed a connection with Nicolas 'Nic' Vansteenberghe early in Season 7.
About 15 minutes into Episode 30, which aired on July 6, narrator Iain Sterling announced that Ortega, 25, had departed the Fiji villa, leaving her partner, Nicolas “Nic” Vansteenberghe, on his own.
“Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation, leaving Nic officially single,” Sterling announced in a voiceover as the scene transitioned to the following day.
The scene cut to Vansteenberghe — who had recently “closed off” his connection with Ortega — struggling to process her sudden departure as he opened up to the other Islanders.
Fans Called for Cierra Ortega's 'Love Island USA' Season 7 Removal
Cierra Ortega entered as a bombshell during Season 7 of 'Love Island USA.'
“Right before Cierra had left, my mind was clear,” Vansteenberghe told producers in a beach hut confessional. “I knew what the future would look like, and now I’m lost. I think now that my strongest connection is gone, there’s like — just figure it out from here.”
Ortega’s departure comes just days after fans on social media called for her removal from the Love Island USA villa, following the resurfacing of controversial past posts — two of which included slurs offensive to the Asian community.
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Love Island USA's Cierra Ortega Lost the Support of Fellow Islander
Cierra Ortega lost the support of her fellow 'Love Island USA' costar Bell-A Walker.
In a January 2015 social media post, Ortega appeared to use a racial slur while describing her smile — a term she repeated in a February 2023 post while receiving a Botox treatment. After the resurfaced posts went viral, she reportedly lost 200,000 followers in just 48 hours, according to Daily Mail, and over 17,000 people signed a petition calling for her removal from the villa.
Ortega also lost the support of a fellow Islander amid the backlash.
Belle-A Walker, who was the first islander dumped after Vansteenberghe's choice to recouple with Ortega, spoke out against her castmate’s controversial posts in a lengthy statement on social media.
Love Island USA's Bella-A Walker Spoke Out Against Cierra Ortega
Love Island USA's Bella-A Walker spoke out against Cierra Ortega.
"As a proud Asian American woman, I'm deeply appreciative of the Love Island USA producers for taking a stand and making it clear that racism of any kind is not tolerated," Walker, 22, wrote via her Instagram Stories shortly after Episode 30 aired.
Reflecting on her experience as a "first-generation American," the Washington native spoke candidly about how "Asian hate is oftentimes overlooked and dismissed."
“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 forward moving forward,” the reality TV personality continued. “As screenshots continue to surface, it became clear that I could no longer support this person, and made the decision to unfollow them a couple days ago.”
