Cierra Ortega Leaves ‘Love Island USA’ After Backlash due to Resurfaced Racial Slur Posts
but now everything is up in the air,” Vansteenberghe said following her departure. “I really thought that we would both walk out of this together, but now, I’m not so sure.”
Ortega was known for her bubbly personality and infectious laugh throughout her time on the show. Her energy and vivaciousness were highlighted many times by the narrator and shown in multiple “beach hut” confessionals, where contestants address their feelings and share their thoughts on their fellow Islanders.
“It truly feels like a weight has been lifted,” Vansteenberghe said of her departure. “But at the same time, I’m missing her presence. It’s like having a piece of the family ripped away.”
The shake-up this late in the season leaves the feeling in the villa uncertain as the finale quickly approaches. Ortega’s departure marks another instance of a contestant leaving “Love Island USA” prematurely for reasons outside the show, leaving her former partner and the rest of the Islanders to grapple with her sudden exit.
Her exit will be a central focus of the following episodes, with fans eager to see how Vansteenberghe and the other Islanders will navigate this unexpected turn of events as they aim to secure a place in the final week of the show.
