On Sunday, July 6, during episode 30 of Love Island, narrator Iain Stirling announced that contestant Cierra Ortega had left the Peacock reality show due to a “personal situation.” Her sudden exit left fellow islander Nic Vansteenberghe single.
Ortega’s departure came shortly after several of her past social media posts resurfaced—posts that allegedly included racist language, and at least two slurs directed at Chinese people.
Following the backlash, Ortega’s parents took to her Instagram account to share a statement via her Story. It read:
“We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt, and the hate. And while Cierra hasn’t seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who love her.
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 threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, 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.
While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. She hasn’t had the chance to process this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she’ll face this with honesty, growth, and grace.
While she’ll alwats be our little girl, she’s also a woman, one who will take responsibility in her own time and in her own voice.
Until then, we’re simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency. Not just for her, but for everyone caught in the middle of this.
Thank you to those who’ve continued to show love, even when it’s ot easy.”
The backlash began after old posts from Ortega went viral—one from January 2015 where she used a racial slur to describe her smile, and another from February 2023 during a Botox appointment. Since then, she’s lost over 200,000 followers, and a petition calling for her removal from Love Island season 7 has gathered more than 17,000 signatures.
What’s your take on Cierra Ortega’s exit from Love Island? Was it the right call? (Photo: Instagram.)
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