‘Love Island USA’ star Cierra Ortega makes sudden exit after past racial slurs resurface

Cierra Ortega has left the Love Island villa. Her sudden departure from Season 7 of Love Island USA was announced during Sunday nights episode, with narrator Iain Stirling revealing that she exited the show for personal reasons. No further explanation was given during the broadcast, which marked Episode 30 of the season. The 25-year-olds exit left fellow contestant Nic Vansteenberghe single and visibly shaken. In a confessional, he admitted feeling lost after losing what he described as his strongest connection. Ortegas departure follows growing online backlash as past slurs allegedly made by her resurfaced on social media. Fans swiftly called for her removal, drawing comparisons to the recent exit of contestant Yulissa Escoba in June under similar circumstances.  Reps for NBC and Peacock have not responded to media inquiries, and Ortega herself has not commented publicly. However, her parents released a statement via Instagram Stories on her account over the weekend, writing, While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. She hasnt had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe shell face this with honesty, growth, and grace. They added, While shell always be our little girl, shes also a woman, one who will take responsibility in her own time and her own voice. Until then, were simply asking for compassion. Addressing the reaction online, Ortegas family wrote, Its uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake theyve made. They clarified that they are not seeking to justify or ignore whats surfaced because accountability matters, but emphasized that the current online treatment is far beyond that. Former contestant Bella-A Walker, who had left the villa following Ortegas arrival, also weighed in on Instagram. I do not condone bigotry or racism of any kind. But I also dont condone hate either. Please think twice before leaving unkind comments to or about this person, she said, expressing heartbreak over the controversy and confirming she had unfollowed Ortega. The situation also prompted a response from Ortegas social media handler, MJ Hedderman, who said, I want to be clear that I do not condone racism, bigotry or hate in any way shape or form. This situation has been really difficult, and Im still processing everything. Hedderman noted they had taken a step back from managing Ortegas account.  Host Ariana Madix, 40, came under scrutiny from fans who demanded she speak out on the issue. In response to claims of silence, the Vanderpump Rules alum fired back online, stating, not silent. you dont know what youre talking about.The post Love Island USA star Cierra Ortega makes sudden exit after past racial slurs resurface appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.