What Did Cierra Ortega Say That Got Her Booted From ‘Love Island USA’? And Has She Apologized?
Love Island USA star Cierra Ortega has finally broken her silence since a controversial social media post led her to be kicked from the villa just days shy of the season finale.
Ortega’s sudden departure was announced in the July 6 episode when narrator Iain Stirling revealed she had left the villa due to a “personal situation.” However, her exit from the Peacock series came as resurfaced social media posts showed her using a derogatory term aimed at Asian people to describe her eyes.
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The Los Angeles-based influencer shared a video apologizing for the resurfaced post, noting she had taken some time to address the situation because she was finally ready to”speak about this without being highly emotional, because I’m not the victim in this situation.”
“I want to first start by addressing, not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community,” she said. “I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry. I had no idea that the word held as much pain as much harm, and came with the history that it did, or I never would have used it. I had no ill intention when I was using it. But that’s absolutely no excuse, because intent doesn’t excuse ignorance.”
“I take accountability for using the word, but I do want it to be known that I genuinely had no idea that it was a slur,” she continued.
Ortega then shared a screenshot from 2024 of her apologizing to a follower who informed her that the language she had used in the post was racist. “I was embarrassed. I, of course, immediately deleted the post. I was apologetic,” she said in her statement. She denied the screenshots shared online that have been “fueling this narrative that I sort of doubled down once people tried to correct me.”
“That was not the case. The truth is, in that moment, the lesson was learned. The word was removed. And it was a true earning moment for me,” Ortega said.
She also addressed how “extremely difficult” this has been for her family, noting fans have even called Immigration and Customs Enforcement on her family.
After saying she completely agreed with the network’s decision to kick her off the show, Ortega concluded her statement with a final apology.
“I know that no apology could ever be enough for the harm that I’ve caused and the offense that’s taken place,” she said. “I know that moving forward, my actions and how I decide to live my life from here on out, is going to speak louder than any apology ever could. But I do need it to be known that I am sorry, and I did mean no harm.”
Ortega is now the second Love Island USA contestant to be kicked from the villa this season. Yulissa Escobar was removed from the villa in the second episode of Season 7 when resurfaced videos showed her saying the N-word during a podcast.
This dramatic season of Love Island USA will soon be coming to an end. The season finale airs Sunday, July 13.
New episodes of Love Island USA air everyday, except for Wednesdays, on Peacock at 9 p.m.
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