Cierra Ortega Abruptly Exits Love Island USA Season 7 Amid Racism Scandal

Another day, another bombshell, and no, not the sexy kind. Love Island USA season 7 has officially become one of the messiest, most scandal-ridden seasons in franchise history, and Sunday night’s episode (July 6) added yet another dramatic twist when Cierra Ortega abruptly exited the villa amid an offscreen racism scandal.

Narrator Iain Stirling broke the news to viewers during the latest episode, confirming that Cierra had “left the villa due to a personal situation,” leaving her partner Nic Vansteenberghe suddenly single just days before the final. The exit wasn’t explained further on air, but outside the confines of the Fiji-based villa, the truth had already surfaced.

As any loyal Love Island stan knows, Islanders are cut off from the outside world with no access to phones or news to keep the focus on their budding romances. But what happens outside the villa doesn’t stay outside, and in Cierra’s case, a resurfaced racist post on her social media came back to haunt her while she was still mid-slow-mo walk in a bikini.

Nic, visibly blindsided, confided in fellow Islander Ace Greene after Cierra’s exit, admitting he was unsure of what to do next. “This late in the game?” he said. “I don’t know where to go from here.”

Cierra’s departure marks the second shocking removal tied to racially insensitive content this season. OG Islander Yulissa Escobar also disappeared early on, gone by episode two. At the time, producers stayed quiet, but Stirling later casually confirmed she had exited, saying Ace was now single because Yulissa “has left the villa.”

The real reason? A resurfaced podcast clip in which Yulissa used racial slurs. Earlier this month, she opened up in a TikTok, detailing her behind-the-scenes removal.

“I had gotten called to the front and then I met one of the producers and they asked me to take my mic off,” Yulissa explained. “They said a video resurfaced and it’s not looking too good.”

According to Yulissa, she spent two days in a hotel room without her phone, anxiously awaiting details. When the clip finally aired, she owned up to the mistake. “I said a word that I should have not said. But I wish I would have never said that. It is what it is. I can’t go back in time. I am sorry.”

And if you thought the drama stopped there? Think again.

Austin Shepard, another Islander in the cast this season, also came under fire, this time for a controversial repost on his social media. The content (which fans flagged after his casting was announced) sparked backlash. Austin responded via Instagram Stories on Saturday, July 5:

“I want to take a moment to address my recent repost that has caused offense to some of you,” he wrote. “As you all know, I have a very dry sense of humor, and I genuinely didn’t think before sharing that content. It was never my intention to hurt or upset anyone.”

While the villa continues serving steamy love triangles, slow-burn flirtations, and the occasional “I’ve got a text!”, it’s the offscreen drama that’s truly overshadowing the season. From resurfaced slurs to problematic posts, this season of Love Island USA is showing that what you do online will come back to bite, especially under the bright lights of reality TV.

With just a week left until the finale, viewers are wondering: Will the drama cool down or only get hotter?

New episodes of Love Island USA drop six days a week (no Wednesdays) on Peacock. Bring your popcorn, this season isn’t done shaking up just yet.