ENTERTAINMENTWhy Did Cierra Ortega Leave the 'Love Island USA' Villa? Clues Why She Went Home
With only a few 'Love Island USA' Season 7 episodes left, TV fans are curious about what happened to Cierra Ortega and why she abruptly left the villa.
July 7 2025, Published 12:09 p.m. ET
Love Island USA fans were shocked when narrator Iain Sterling revealed during Episode 30 that Cierra Ortega had left the villa due to “personal reasons.”
With only a few episodes until the Season 7 finale and being in one of the only closed-off couples on the show, fans are curious why she abruptly left the Love Island USA villa.
What Happened to Cierra Ortega on ‘Love Island USA’ Season 7?
Only six women were spotted sitting at the 'Love Island USA' fire pit in the preview.
During Episode 30, which aired on Peacock on July 6, eagle-eyed fans noticed that only six women — Huda Mustafa, Iris Kendall, Clarke Carraway, Olandra Carthen, Michelle “Chelley” Bissainthe and Amaya Espinal — were shown sitting at the firepit in the preview, with Ortega noticeably absent.
Ortega had minimal screen time during the episode, and it wasn’t until the scene shifted to the next day that her sudden departure was officially announced, leaving her partner, Nicolas “Nic” Vansteenberghe, in the dust.
“Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation, leaving Nic officially single,” Sterling announced about 15 minutes into the broadcast.
Cierra and Nic Were the First 'Closed Off' Couple on 'Love Island USA'
The pair recently closed off their connection.
The next scene showed a heartbroken Vansteenberghe grappling with the news that Ortega — who had recently closed off their connection to other Islanders — had left the villa.
“Right before Cierra had left, my mind was clear,” Vansteenberghe explained 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.”
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Why Did Cierra Ortega Leave the ‘Love Island USA’ Villa?
Ortega was removed from 'Love Island USA' with just a few episodes left in the season.
Although the reason for Ortega’s departure has yet to be officially announced, fans demanded she be removed from the villa following the resurfacing of a past social media post using racial slurs.
Shortly after her exit from the Love Island USA villa, Ortega’s parents addressed the situation with a statement shared on her official Instagram account.
Cierra's Parents Addressed Her 'Love Island USA' Season 7 Villa Exit
Cierra Ortega's parents spoke out after her 'Love Island USA' exit.
“As Cierra’s parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives. We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate,” they wrote. “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters.”
They continued, “While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. She hasn’t had the change to process any of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart … 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.”
Ortega is the second Love Island USA Season 7 contestant to come under fire for the use of racial slurs. Yulissa Escobar was removed from the villa in the second episode of the series after a podcast appearance from her past showed her repeatedly using the N-word.
