Cierra Ortega has left the villa.
Narrator Iain Stirling revealed the contestant’s shocking “Love Island USA” departure on Sunday’s episode of the reality show, explaining that she left due to “personal reasons.”
No further details were given during Episode 30 about the 25-year-old’s sudden exit, which left her fellow contestant Nic Vansteenberghe single.
However, the decision comes as Ortega’s past slurs resurfaced on social media.
Fans called for the content creator to be removed from the show, pointing out that Yulissa Escoba left the show in June after similarly being called out online over a past racial slur.
While Ortega has yet to speak out, her parents released a lengthy statement via Instagram Stories on their daughter’s account over the weekend, addressing “one of the most painful weeks of [their] lives.”
They wrote, “While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. She hasn’t 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 she’ll face this with honesty, growth, and grace.
“While she’ll always be our little girl, she’s also a woman, one who will take responsibility in her own time and her own voice,” the duo continued. “Until then, we’re simply asking for compassion.”
Ortega’s family members called out the “heartbreaking … threats” and “cruel messages” she had received.
“It’s uncalled for,” they wrote. “And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made.”
The couple clarified that their goal was not to “justify or ignore” what’s surfaced because “accountability matters,” but called “what’s happening online right now … far beyond that.”
Belle-A Walker, who left Fiji after Ortega’s bombshell arrival on the reality series, echoed this in her own Instagram reaction over the weekend.
While the 22-year-old felt “incredibly heartbroken” over the resurfaced slurs and has unfollowed Ortega, she noted, “I do not condone bigotry or racism of any kind. But I also don’t condone hate either. Please think twice before leaving unkind comments to or about this person.”
Ortega’s social media handler, notably, recently revealed that she had taken a “step back” from managing her Instagram account.
MJ Hedderman wrote, “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 I’m still processing everything.”
When the backlash began last week, social media users called on host Ariana Madix to respond and blasted her “silen[ce].”
The “Vanderpump Rules” alum, 40, replied, “not silent. you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As for Vansteenberghe, the reality star said in a confessional that he feels “lost” on the show after unexpectedly losing his “strongest connection.”
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