‘Love Island USA’ Star TJ Palma Has Been Trauma Bonding With Dumped Islander Charlie Georgiou Over Pepe Garcia Taking Their Girls: “I Am Heartbroken”

Love Island USA Season 7 has split up countless genuine connections, including TJ Palma and Iris Kendall. Palma, who Megan Thee Stallion introduced in Episode 15, was dumped from the villa after the majority of the Islanders chose to save Taylor Williams in Episode 27, ultimately breaking up his and Kendall’s budding relationship.

In the time that’s passed since Palma’s unfortunate departure, Kendall has coupled up (and possibly been intimate) with her fellow bombshell Pepe Garcia. While Palma described Garcia as an “older brother” to him, he said he had “nothing against” the pro basketball player for romancing his former love interest.

“That’s what the Love Island experience is at the end of the day,” Palma told Decider over a recent Zoom interview. “If he were there just being friends with someone and not trying to explore it and see what happens, he would be doing himself a disservice.”

Palma, fortunately, hasn’t had to cope alone. Charlie Georgiou, who was dumped from the island in Episode 12 (before Palma was brought in as a bombshell), had to watch Hannah Fields move on with Garcia before she was eventually sent home in Episode 18. The two men were recently able to connect (and possibly trauma bond) when they met up in Los Angeles.

“We went through similar experiences,” Palma said. “[Georgiou] was just trying to help me understand how he got through his experience, because he was heartbroken. I am heartbroken. It’s a tough situation.”

When we caught up with Palma, he also revealed how he really felt about Huda Mustafa, which couple he wants to win the show, and what it was like camping out with Kendall in Soul Ties. Check out the full interview below.

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DECIDER: I’m so excited to talk to you about your experience on Love Island. What was it like to have Megan Thee Stallion introduce you as a bombshell?

TJ PALMA: It was super nerve-wracking. I didn’t find out I was walking in with Meg until a few hours before and I think that really put it into perspective. You can’t see in the episode, but my legs were shaking. That whole night was very nerve-wracking to me, but I’m happy it worked out. I think it was probably the best entrance that could have happened.

The girls were very quickly whisked off to Casa Amor after you arrived – and you caught some heat for giving the new girls very low rankings on their kisses. Ariana Madix even gave you a little shade after that challenge. What was your reaction to that? 

At the moment, I didn’t think anything of it, so I’m glad I get to clear the air right now. I feel like there are two main reasons why I did that and one’s more obvious than the other. The first one that’s not obvious is that I just came in as a bombshell and I’m just getting to know these guys and I didn’t want to step on their toes and rate all their girls tens. That was a big thing for me. Also, I wanted Iris to feel special when she came around and give her the 10. I know her lips, I know how she kisses and whatnot, and I wanted her to feel good. I was waiting for her, and then obviously it wasn’t the OG girls, so it looked really bad. I didn’t watch it back, but from what I’m hearing, it looks a lot worse than it actually was. 

At what point did you realize it wasn’t the OGs? Was it really not until you took off the blindfold?

I had an idea. I thought they were switching it up. I thought maybe the first girl was new and the second girl was somebody else. I was just really confused. Pepe was next to me and we were talking. I was like, “Yo, was that this person?” He was like, “Yeah.” I think we all had it messed up. But I didn’t really know until I took the blindfold off. It eventually got to the last girl – we only did five, I believe, and there were six girls – and I was like, “Wait, this is totally not right.” And I didn’t feel Iris so I was like, “Yeah, this is not right.” Right when I took the blindfold off, I kind of knew.

You and Iris found your way back to each other when Casa Amor rejoined the villa. What can you say about the few days you got to spend with her before going home?

In those few days before Casa, we spent a lot of time together and we really got to know each other. I know she was in a tough situation with the whole Jeremiah and Huda thing. She was kind of in the middle of that. She was waiting for someone to come in that she was interested in. She was put through the ringer and she’s had a crazy, wild experience. But those few days told me a lot and I think from the jump I told her how much I adore the way she carries herself and the way she talks and gives advice and how mature she is. I was like, “Yeah, this is someone that I want to keep pursuing this connection with.” Going through Casa, it just showed me that I would be doing myself a disservice if I just played the game and went with Vanna and stayed safe. 

Unlike some of your fellow Islanders, you and Iris decided to camp out at Soul Ties one night. What are your thoughts on all the escapades that went on in the villa at night? And why did you and Iris decide to take yours elsewhere?

I don’t know. I feel like there’s a lot that goes on in that bedroom, a lot of noises and stuff. I think I’m a decently heavy sleeper, so I didn’t really hear much. But I know every morning we would wake up and someone would be like, “Oh, yeah. We heard that,” or little remarks and stuff. But me and Iris wanted to sleep in Soul Ties, regardless. We’ve always thought it would be cool because they shut the lights off and it turns all blue and you can see the stars. It was just a sick experience. So I’m glad we did that. But it was hot as hell, I’m not going to lie. 

Was it buggy? I feel like last season they were saying there were mosquitoes.

When Ace used to sleep in Soul Ties, he sprayed bug spray on all the pillows. We totally forgot to do that so my leg got bit up. I had my legs out because it was so hot. At night it was OK, but in the morning it was really hot and the sun was shining. So yeah, it wasn’t the best sleep, but it was a cool experience. 

At first, a lot of people were shipping Pepe and Iris as a friendship couple so they could each come back to you and Hannah. But now things seem to have gotten a bit more serious. What are your thoughts on that, especially since you’ve said you and Pepe were so close in the villa?

Yeah, Pepe was like my older brother in there, I’m not gonna lie. I feel like me and him hit it off because we both came in as bombshells and we had similar experiences walking into this new group of people. We had the same values and outlook on life. We just hit it off. But I’m not surprised, to be honest. I have nothing against him at all whatsoever, and I would never talk bad about him. That’s what the Love Island experience is at the end of the day. I feel like if he were there just being friends with someone and not trying to explore it and see what happens, he would be doing himself a disservice. I don’t want that for him because at the end of the day, he’s not in there for me, he’s in there for himself. If he wants to pursue somebody, he can. I think testing connections and figuring out what you want and what you don’t want in there is totally acceptable. So, I’m OK with it. 

I saw you and Charlie made a TikTok together, where you guys were trauma bonding over Pepe taking both of your girls. How have you guys been able to be there for each other? 

I’m staying with Charlie and Austin right now in LA. They’re actually upstairs. I just met Charlie for the first time, and I feel like there’s a little truth to that TikTok. We went through similar experiences. So he was just trying to help me understand how he got through his experience, because he was heartbroken. I am heartbroken. It’s a tough situation, but I feel like my coping mechanism is to laugh it off and make funny TikToks like that. 

Do you have any plans to reach out to Iris after she leaves the villa?

I think the best thing is to have a conversation about everything and just see. You don’t know everything that goes on. Obviously, there’s a lot that I saw on the screen, but there’s a lot you don’t see, so you never know. I would just rather hear it from her than have people in my comments making their own judgment and saying what happened. I think I would definitely like to have a conversation with her about it.

Speaking of TikTok, I saw you did a ranking of the Islanders. Why did you put Taylor at the bottom? 

I think he was last to show up and that was the only spot, but I love Taylor and I thought that him and Clarke were really gonna take it to the end. It was super sad to see them leave the other night, especially after just closing off and everything. I have mad love for Taylor. That was my guy. We’d always throw the football, and we’d throw it for hours, so I have a lot of love for him. 

Like you said, we saw Taylor and Clarke go home the other night. Which couple do you think will be next to go?

My prediction was, that night, Ace and Chelley or Taylor and Clarke. I feel like America has their opinions on Ace and Chelley and it’s not the greatest opinion. So I feel like they would probably get sent home next. Do I think they deserve it? No. I feel like they’re very strong. They’ve been through a lot and I have a ton of respect for both of them. I would hate to see them going home. I’d hate to see anybody going home, but if I had to pick I would probably say them.

At one point, Huda was showing interest in you. What did you think of her?

Obviously, I watched the episodes before coming in and I’m not gonna lie, I was scared shitless of Huda. I was like, “I don’t know how to handle this.” When I got in there, she was so sweet and super nice. I was like, “Is this the same Huda that we’re talking to?” We had a good conversation. She has her own online business, and I’m kind of similar. We shared a lot of experiences. It didn’t work out romantically, but it was good getting to know her, and I feel like she has a good heart and she means well.

Now that you have your phone back and you’ve seen the comments from the public and your fellow Islanders who have already been dumped, are there any misconceptions you’d like to clear up about yourself or your time on the show?

I think that a lot of people thought I was sending shots at Vanna in one of our conversations about the resting bitch face. That was not the case at all. There’s a lot to that conversation and that relationship that they didn’t show. I feel like if they showed it, it would make more sense. I was just annoyed, so that’s why you can see me mad and angry. Obviously, the kissing challenge, the ratings, which I kind of spoke about. I’m trying to think if there was anything else. Besides that, they didn’t really show much of me so there’s not much to like …

You got to fly under the radar a little bit.

Yeah, which is a good thing and a bad thing. I feel like I was just not involved in the drama and I was unproblematic, so I think that had to do with it. At the end of the day, what are you gonna do? But I’m happy for the experience and it worked out. 

Who are you voting for to win the whole show? 

To be honest, I don’t have the app. I haven’t been voting. But I think that Amaya and Bryan will probably take it home. I think they’ve been hitting it off and going really strong. The Islanders in there even see it. They sent them to The Hideaway. I’m just happy for them. They’re both great people. And Amaya’s a little sensitive gangster. I love her and she’s sick. I support them and I think they’ll probably take it home. 

You teased in a recent TikTok that the reunion is about to “go crazy.” What is one thing you’re hoping to address? 

Oh, shit. I didn’t get the chance to understand why people voted the way they voted when I got dumped. In that moment, I wasn’t thinking, it didn’t feel real, and I wasn’t expecting it, so I didn’t have that opportunity to ask people why [or what the decision-making process was behind their vote]. I feel like that’s something I would ask, but I’m not too stressed about it, to be honest. Everything happens for a reason, and I’m super glad that I came out when I came out. It’s been nothing but love.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

New episodes of Love Island USA air every night (except Wednesday) at 9/8c on Peacock.