
Cierra Ortega, a former Love Island USA contestant, has responded to her exit from the show with a direct message from Greece.
In a pointed Instagram post, the 25-year-old reflected on her journey and called out her former partner, Nic Vansteenberghe. Sharing a sun-drenched video from Mykonos, Ortega wrote, "Thanks, I booked a flight to Mykonos after surviving the villain edit on reality TV and I didn’t end up with the guy who never actually liked me and wanted my friend the entire time."
Ortega was removed from the villa mid-show after producers learned of her past use of a racial slur. She later addressed the controversy in a video, stating, "This is something that deserved punishment, and the punishment has absolutely been received." While she expressed remorse, she also asked viewers not to target her family, citing harassment and threats.
Following her departure, Vansteenberghe quickly recoupled with Olandria Carthen and the two ultimately placed second in the finale.
In a podcast appearance, he said, "She just left. It was some sort of personal reason or something along those lines." He added, "If whatever is happening in the outside world is something I don’t align with, then that could be perceived as me supporting that."
While Olandria has not commented, fans continue to debate the authenticity of the final pairings and the show’s handling of accountability and redemption.
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