Love Island USA Season 7 kicks off with love triangles, surprise exits & drama in paradise

The villa is open, the Islanders are in, and Love Island USA Season 7 is officially underway. The new season premiered on June 3 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock, whisking ten hopeful singles off to sun-soaked Fiji for a shot at love—and maybe a bit of chaos.

With a nightly release schedule (minus Wednesdays), the show wastes no time. Just a few episodes in, we’ve already seen unexpected exits, surprise connections, and a few contestants facing more than just romantic dilemmas. The fresh batch of Islanders are navigating new crushes, messy love triangles, and the pressure of coupling up in paradise. Hosted by reality TV veteran Ariana Madix and narrated by Iain Sterling, this season has already given fans plenty to talk about.

Love Island USA is clearly back and not holding back.

The initial Islanders of Love Island USA Season 7

This season’s original ten daters are already stirring the pot. Among them are Chelley Bissainthe, Huda Mustafa, Olandria Carthen, Belle-A Walker, Yulissa Escobar, Nicolas Vansteenberghe, Austin Shepard, Taylor Williams, Ace Greene, and Jeremiah Brown.

Four new contestants—Cierra Ortega, Hannah Fields, Amaya Espinal, and Charlie Georgiou—have also joined the mix. But things haven’t been smooth sailing for everyone. On June 8, the villa saw its first dumping when Nicolas chose Cierra over Belle-A, leading to Belle-A’s early exit from Love Island USA. That decision definitely turned heads and hinted that no one’s place is safe.

Adding another twist, it turns out Ace and Chelley already knew each other.

“Wait, wait, wait. This can’t be real life,” Chelley said upon seeing him.

According to Ace:

“I do know Chelley. I met her in New York, actually. Outside of the club.”

Controversy strikes early in the season

Not every departure from Love Island USA has been romantic. Yulissa Escobar, one of the original contestants, has left the villa following backlash over old social media clips where she used inappropriate language. Her exit wasn’t aired in full detail, but she did release a statement afterward.

“Owning my mistakes speaking my truth,” Yulissa wrote on Instagram after leaving the show.

While her time in the villa was short, the situation set a serious tone for how quickly real-world issues can catch up with contestants.

With Yulissa’s exit and Belle-A’s early departure, the dynamic inside the villa is already shifting. New Islanders are stepping in, and the rest are left to navigate both budding romances and public scrutiny—classic Love Island USA.

Love triangle alert: Chelley, Ace, and Austin

The Chelley-Ace-Austin triangle is heating up. Chelley seemed caught off guard when Ace walked into the villa, but she’s also open to seeing what might happen now that they’re finally in the same city.

But there’s competition. Austin, who’s also interested in Chelley, recently opened up about how seeing her with Ace made him feel.

“It makes me feel weird,” he admitted.

Fans online have praised Austin for being respectful and kind, especially for speaking positively about Chelley even when she isn’t around.

Meanwhile, Ace told Chelley that there’s definitely a connection there. But with Amaya now in the picture and not happy about Ace’s openness to others, the drama is building, and fast. Welcome to Love Island USA.

Who’s next to leave the Love Island USA villa?

So far, two Islanders are out, and the next dumping is anyone’s guess. With new faces in the villa and emotions getting tangled, Season 7 is proving that no one is safe, not even in paradise.

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Will Chelley stick with Austin or give Ace another chance? Can Amaya forgive and forget? And is Jeremiah ready to smooth things over with Huda? If the first few episodes are anything to go by, we’re in for a season full of unexpected twists.