Two Things Can Be True: Cierra Was Wrong & Love Island Mishandled Her Exit

Polarizing debates happen online everyday, yet scores of keyboard warriors tend to forget one thing before getting on their soapboxes: several things can be true at the same time. That’s absolutely the case for the latest Love Island USA controversy which centers on Cierra Ortega. During Sunday’s episode, the 25-year-old, who came into the villa on day two as a bombshell, was booted from the show “due to a personal situation.” 

Just a week prior, Ortega came under fire after old screenshots surfaced of her using an anti-Asian slur on two separate occasions. As the photos began circulating on social media,  folks  pointed out the fact that she used the word again after getting called out and apologizing for it in the past. While getting Botox in 2023, Ortega used the slur to describe her eyes. She had nearly 1 million Instagram followers ahead of the controversy and lost more than 200,000 followers afterwards. 

Minutes into the episode, narrator Iain Stirling announced her departure without the show giving any other details. Fans assumed that Ortega’s previous posts are the reason, making her the second Season 7 contestant to get kicked out for using racist language. Yulissa Escobar was the first after folks discovered the Florida native used the n-word several times during a podcast interview. Though Ortega has yet to comment on the matter, her parents shared a statement on her Instagram stories.

“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,” the statement read. “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.”

There are a few things at play here. Ortega was wrong as hell for using the language, especially more than once. Though she used the word to describe her own features, she used willful ignorance and the model minority myth to shield her. In the late 1800s, white Americans created the slur to be weaponized against Chinese immigrants who they believed were taking their jobs. Sound familiar? 

Unfortunately, this country’s education system works overtime for America’s PR, constantly minimizing and erasing the pain and wrongdoings against communities of color. And the current administration aims to erase any progress this past century has seen. I find it hard to believe that Ortega, who is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, doesn’t know that. So while her ignorance doesn’t make it right, her insensitive language does show just how casual racism can be.

Now, let’s be very clear. The buck doesn’t stop with Ortega. And I’m not completely sure that kicking her off the show rectified the real problem here. Especially when the producers are picking and choosing who to punish. 

When an old video recently surfaced of Nic Vansteenberghe making a stereotypical joke about Chinese people eating cats, both fans and producers seemed to largely ignore it in comparison. In the wake of controversy, Ortega’s comment section — which is currently disabled — was full of name calling and threats while Nic’s is flooded with people rooting for his relationship with Olandria Carthen. 

And just days ago, Austin Shepard, who was voted out last week, was outed for reposting racist TikToks before going on the show. The videos promoted violence against Black women and spread myths about crime in Black communities. Shepard issued an apology on Saturday, blaming his “dry sense of humor.” 

There’s a double standard at play. Both Cierra and Nic used anti-Asian language, yet only one is being held accountable. Austin shared racist ideologies about Black people, yet his Instagram and TikTok posts are filled with positive comments. All of their old posts are a reflection of how this country continues to approach race. Though it’s important to correct people when they say and do offensive things, nothing good comes from dogpiling onto those already facing scrutiny. That effort would be better spent pressuring legislators to pass bills that actually help disenfranchised communities. And the fallout speaks to how easy it is for society to “cancel” women over men. 

Likeability and favoritism have done wonders for men this season. With the show getting the biggest ratings spike in its seven seasons on Peacock, there’s a lot more at play in terms of viewer engagement. The more people who watch and develop parasocial relationships with the Islanders — carrying with them sexism and personal prejudices  — the more folks who will go digging for old tweets, screenshots and scandals. And in many cases, it feels more like viewers are prioritizing creating a viral moment and dogpiling vitriol against their least favorite contestants over educating and holding folks accountable. 

In Ortega’s case, it seemed that the louder the social media conversation got, the closer producers got to letting her go. From the jump, this was a messy situation that didn’t need to happen. Ortega’s past comments should have prevented her from being cast on the show to begin with. The Love Island producers seemed to prioritize content creators with an already strong following this season, seemingly chasing the success of last season. But with a growing fandom for the U.S. franchise and a tragic history with extreme bullying, it's evident that things need to change in how both the producers and fans handle controversy.

That these people are getting let go without the Love Island production making any official statements beyond vague voiceovers. Are we just to assume that they don’t condone racism and hateful language? Because in 2025 with federal agencies and corporate agencies backing away from diversity, equity and inclusion, opting to play it safe with “colorblind” politics is not the move. They’re avoiding actually condemning racism, which is honestly the bare minimum. Saying folks are leaving “due to personal reasons” feels lazy and dishonest, especially when there are plenty of viewers without social media who have no idea of the real reasons behind these exits.

You also also have to factor in the ages of these castmembers (most in their early 20s) and how chronically online this generation has been their whole lives. Blunders are bound to resurface. Yes, there should be consequences. And the team behind Love Island has a responsibility to protect its cast — and its audience — from situations like this. The vetting process clearly needs to be more thorough. And how they handle the fallout from these decisions to remove Islanders mid-season also needs an overhaul. 

The producers have no problem making statements about bullying. Why can’t they do the same with racist language? Love Island USA needs to figure out whether it’s going to adhere to its own standards or not, but riding the fence on the basis of sexism and favoritism, and emboldening its audience to perpetuate both, ain’t it.