Leah Kateb exposes Rob Rausch and Love Island USA producers for ‘traumatizing’ her

Leah Kateb from Love Island USA is sharing how her experience on the reality TV show led to trauma and negatively affected her self-esteem.

The reality TV star had an in-depth discussion with Tana Mongeau on her Cancelled Podcast, where she revealed her emotions during the filming of season 6 of the Peacock show and expressed feeling that the producers were exploiting her distress.

Although she faced challenges on the show, Leah notes that it wasn’t all negative. 

She ended up forming close friendships and is still dating Miguel Harichi, which makes her feel "very lucky."

"He's my boo. It's exactly the same I feel like we just have such a special bond. I just feel like if you guys saw the whole thing pan out you would you would get it," she said. 

Apart from her time with Miguel inside the Villa, Leah admitted that she disliked every moment of her experience on the show.

"I don't think I'll ever come to terms with this. You don't understand. I was spiraling in that Villa. It is going to take me years to recover from this like I was traumatized. I still am I think. A lot of things I'm realizing like, oh f--k, I am going straight to therapy."

She mentioned that although her mental health was impacted by her time on the show, the support and encouragement from her fans are helping her to keep going.

Leah experienced significant turmoil after pairing up with Rob Rausch at the beginning of the show. There was tension between them, which later extended to the other contestants.

She mentioned that although they are good friends, their relationship had a profound impact on her, and she felt "miserable" during her time on the show.

"He is a good person as a friend, basically, we don't click we frankly never did in that way I was miserable every second I always was living with sheer anxiety and fight or flight mode. As someone who is very used to that in a relationship due to past relationships just like trauma was very triggering," she explained.

"It was very painful. It put me in a head space that I haven't been in in a very long time it made me do things that I haven't done in a very long time."

She said that she and Rob initially seemed to be in sync, but things soon became "very theatrical," with some moments even feeling "scary."

She mentioned that at her lowest point, she did not feel supported by the show's producers.

"It felt like every like my feelings were being very downplayed by the producers as well. I know the producers keep telling me not to talk about them but it was such betrayal in every realm.”

They're like, 'We care about you,' and I was like but I'm dying and you don't care. They are going to hate me saying that," she continued.

Leah recounted an incident where she and fellow contestant Liv were crying, and producers instructed them to wait because the cameras were not filming.

"I get it this sh-t's entertaining to you guys. I get it. It's a TV show to you guys but this is our real lives. This isn't funny, we're not having fun right now frankly I'm miserable and I want to go home and I feel like I'm stuck here," she said.