Cierra Leaves Love Island USA After Racist IG Post Surfaces
One day, reality TV stars will learn to thoroughly vet themselves before trying to get cast on a show. Today is not that day. Love Island USA’s Cierra Ortega has left the villa. Announcer Iain Stirling said on Sunday’s show that she’d made an exit “due to a personal situation.” That personal situation being that she personally used a racial slur and persons found out. On July 1, fans resurfaced an old Instagram story of Ortega’s where she said she got Botox because “I can also be a little ch*nky when I laugh/smile.” Fans immediately called for her firing, and host Ariana Madix said on social media that the comments would be addressed.
This is the second contestant this season who was asked to leave Love Island USA for their racist social media content. Yulissa Escobar was asked to leave the show on Day 2 after fans surfaced a podcast appearance in which she used slurs. She later issued an apology, saying “I’ve changed a lot since then, not just in how I speak, but in how I show up, how I carry myself, and how I honor the experiences of others,” she continued. “Growth means recognizing when you were wrong, even if it’s uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and accountability.” But that’s not all; Austin Shepard’s deeply Trumpy likes were also highly criticized. Shepard denies being a racist, saying on Instagram Live “Are you fucking dumb? Honestly, are you dumb? Do you not think?” He pointed to the Black woman tattooed on his side as proof he couldn’t be racist. “But I have Black tattoos!” is a novel defense.
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