'Love Island USA' Faces New Scrutiny After Vasana Montgomery Exits Over Racial Slur Videos

Love Island USA is facing another casting controversy after Season 8 contestant Vasana Montgomery was dropped from the villa over resurfaced videos showing her using a racial slur.

Montgomery, 25, issued an apology on Instagram on June 4, one day after the new Season premiered on Peacock.

Her departure comes after two season 7 contestants, Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega, were also removed from the show following backlash over past use of racial slurs.

“I want to address a couple videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced,” Montgomery wrote. “In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry. I am embarrassed and disappointed by my words.”

She said she takes “full responsibility” and understands why her comments hurt people.

“That growth does not erase my mistake, and I am not asking anyone to excuse it,” Montgomery wrote, adding that she believes “people should be held accountable for their actions,” but also in “growth, learning, and becoming better.”

“This is the third Love Island USA racial slur controversy in two consecutive seasons. At some point the conversation has to shift from individual accountability to institutional accountability. And that moment is now,” said Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations.

Production sources stressed that the videos were not found during initial background checks because they appear to have been private videos that surfaced only after the cast was announced.

“So the traditional vetting process has a real structural gap,” Philip noted. “Social media audits of public posts are not enough anymore. The internet does not forget and neither does the audience.”

Before Season 8 premiered, Love Island USA posted a message asking fans to keep the community respectful, writing, “The Villa runs on good vibes, and so does this community.”

But the franchise has repeatedly found itself reacting after viewers uncover offensive past content. Escobar was removed early in Season 7 after videos surfaced of her using a racial slur for Black people. Ortega later exited after backlash over past racial slurs directed toward Chinese people.

“The reputational calculus for Peacock here is significant,” Philip added. “A pattern is no longer an incident. It is a systems failure.”

“Meaningful accountability looks like more than a removal statement,” Philip explained. “It looks like a publicly stated change in casting protocol, a commitment to diverse casting directors and production staff who bring different perspectives to the vetting process, and transparency about what the new standards actually are.”

Season 8 may already be underway, but until the network takes those steps, Philip said, “Season 9 is already at risk of the same headline.”