Love Island USA‘s Belle-A Is ‘Incredibly Heartbroken’ Over Cierra’s Past Use of Racial Slurs: ‘No Longer Support This Person’

As a “proud Asian American woman,” Belle-A said she was “deeply appreciative” that the show made it “clear that racism of any kind is not tolerated”

Belle-A Walker is speaking out about Cierra Ortega’s sudden exit from Love Island USA season 7.

On the Sunday, July 6 episode of the Peacock series, it was announced that Cierra had left the villa due to a “personal situation.” No further elaboration was shared, and the exit left Nic Vansteenberghe, who had “closed off” with Cierra days before, single.

The exit came after posts resurfaced of Cierra, 25, allegedly using a racial slur, which prompted Belle-A — who was the first Islander dumped after Nic chose to recouple with Cierra — to speak out.

In a statement, Belle-A expressed her appreciation that the show refused to condone racism.

“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,” the 22-year-old began her statement, which she posted on her Instagram Stories shortly after the latest episode aired.

Reflecting on her own experience as a “first-generation American,” Belle-A spoke about how “Asian hate is oftentimes overlooked and dismissed.”

“I have personally witnessed and experienced how real and hurtful comments like these are,” she wrote. “It is my hope that this situation can shed light on how big of an issue anti-Asian hate actually is.”

Cierra’s use of the racial slur left her “incredibly heartbroken.”

Belle-A said she initially “wanted to wait” to give Cierra time after leaving the villa to “address the situation, genuinely apologize, and commit to learning from the experience before deciding how our relationship would look moving forward.”

“As screenshots continued to surface, it became clear that I could no longer support this person,” she continued.

She unfollowed Cierra “a couple days ago” as a result.

Belle-A also encouraged fans of the show and people online to be kind despite Cierra’s past comments.

Though she said she “could not be silent” in the wake of the resurfaced posts, and rather wanted to “use” her “amazing platform” to “amplify the voices of my community,” Belle-A also issued a plea to fans to be kind as Cierra gets her phone back.

“I do not condone bigotry or racism of any kind. But I also don’t condone hate either,” she wrote. “Please think twice before leaving unkind comments to or about this person.”

The plea echoed what Cierra’s family asked in a statement shared on her Instagram Stories following the episode.

“We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now has gone far beyond that,” her family wrote.

“The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it’s heartbreaking. It’s uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made.”

They said Cierra will “take responsibility in her own time” after she gets her phone back and asked for “compassion” and “basic human decency” in the meantime.

New episodes of Love Island USA drop every day except Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.