Why did Yulissa leave the villa? ‘Love Island’ star exits after racist remarks surface

The latest season of “Love Island” isn’t yet a week old, and already it’s mired in scandal.

Contestant Yulissa Escobar was abruptly ousted from the villa with little explanation from narrator Iain Stirling during the second episode of Season 7, which aired June 4. Different from the traditional departures, in which contestants are either voted off by the public or their fellow “Islanders,” Escobar’s exit came with no on-screen fanfare.

USA TODAY has reached out to Peacock, which airs the show, for comment.

Over the years, a few Islanders have unceremoniously disappeared from the show, only to later emerge on social media with claims as to why they were no longer on screen. Some of these contestants included Season 2’s Noah Purvis, Season 3’s Leslie Golden and Season 4’s Kyle Fraser.

For many, her exit was likely welcome – before the show even premiered, the 27-year-old Miami businesswoman became the subject of controversy when several clips of her using a racial slur on a podcast surfaced. Backlash quickly reached a fever pitch online, with fans of the show vowing to vote her off when they got the chance.

‘Love Island USA’ host Ariana Madix reveals she eavesdrops on contestants: ‘I love gossip’

That opportunity never came, however, when just short of 20 minutes into the show, Stirling said simply, “Yulissa has left the villa.” Escobar, who had used a racial slur toward Black people when describing a previous relationship, was coupled up with 22-year-old Ace Greene from Los Angeles.

With the Miami native gone, Greene is now single, free to “recouple” with the other bikini-clad twentysomethings looking for love in NBC’s Fiji “Love Island” villa.

“Love Island USA,” a spin-off of the popular U.K. reality series, has proven a massive boon for NBC, particularly Season 6, which produced three closely followed couples.

The format, which sees eligible singles from across the country live in a villa, summer camp style, and play musical chairs with their romantic relationships, is ripe for online commentary. As fans get to watch along, sometimes voting their least-liked individuals out, the side conversation around the happenings in the villa becomes as much an activity as watching the show itself.

New episodes of Love Island USA stream daily at 9 p.m. E.T. on Peacock.