Cierra Ortega has addressed her exit from Love Island USA after a social media post resurfaced where she used a racist slur.
Cierra Ortega was removed from the villa after using a word that demeans the Asian community. After flying back to the U.S., Ortega took to Instagram to take accountability for her past mistakes.
“Now that I’ve been back in the U.S. for about 48 hours and I’ve had the chance to process [everything], I now feel like I’m at a space where I can speak about this without being highly emotional, because I am not the victim in this situation,” Ortega started off saying in the Istagram video.
“While I was in the villa, there were some posts that resurfaced from my past where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term,” she continued. “I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community. I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry. I had no idea that the word held as much pain, as much harm, and came with the history that it did or I never would have used it”.
Cierra Ortega noted that although she “had no ill intention” when she used the word, “That’s absolutely no excuse because intent doesn’t excuse ignorance. It just doesn’t and I just need you to know that I am sorry.”
The former contestant of the Peacock dating series was removed from the villa on the episode that streamed on Sunday, with narrator Iain Stirling simply stating that she left “due to a personal situation.”
In the video she posted online, Cierra Ortega says that it’s “not an apology video,” adding, “This is an accountability video. I do want to hold my hands up and say that I take accountability for using the word, but I do want it to be known that I genuinely had no idea that it was a slur. I had no idea of its meaning.”
She further explained that after she made her post public in 2024, someone reached out to her to educate her on the meaning of the word and its history. Ortega said that she “immediately deleted the post” and “was apologetic” for having used the term and learned her lesson.
“I think since that moment, I’ve done so much growing as an individual, and I’ve tried my best to educate others who might be accidentally holding space for these types of words that could be offensive in their vocabulary,” she said. “I completely agree with the network’s decision to remove me from the villa. I think that this is something that deserved punishment, and the punishment has absolutely been received, for sure.”
Although Ortega agrees with the punishment she received, she finds it “extremely difficult” that her family is receiving death threats and having ICE called on them, saying, “My family doesn’t feel safe in their own home. I’m receiving death threats like it’s there’s no need to fight hate with hate. I don’t think that’s justice.”
Ortega asked Love Island USA fans to allow her “to grow with grace” from this experience and promised “to take strides to be better.”