Love Island USA’s Cierra Ortega leaves show after racism row

Love Island USA’s Cierra Ortega has left the villa “for personal reasons” after previous social media posts emerged online.

The 25-year-old content material creator from LA was absent from season seven’s newest episode after a 2015 video about Botox therapies resurfaced.

Fans shared and criticised the Instagram post, which contained a derogatory time period for Chinese people.

In a assertion Cierra’s dad and mom said she had been the goal of a hate marketing campaign and called for compassion.

Cierra’s dad and mom, who have been working her social media while she’s been in the villa, said she and her relations had acquired threats and “cruel messages”.

Describing the fallout as “one of the most painful weeks of our lives,” they said no-one deserved the hate Cierra had acquired.

“We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced,” they wrote.

“We understand why people are upset and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now has gone far beyond that.”

“No-one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistakes they’ve made.”

Cierra’s dad and mom say that, while she’s left the villa, she “still hasn’t had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself”.

“When she returns, we believe she’ll face this with honesty, growth and grace.

“Until then, we’re merely asking for compassion. For persistence. For fundamental human decency.”

BBC Newsbeat has contacted Peacock, the makers of Love Island USA, for comment.

Cierra’s departure follows that of fellow islander Yulissa Escobar, who left the show after videos of her using a racial slur on a podcast in 2021 re-emerged.

Yulissa later apologised, saying on Instagram she used the offensive term “ignorantly, not absolutely understanding the weight, historical past, or ache behind it”.

She followed up her apology with a second post, saying she had received death threats and that she “came back to a warzone” after leaving the villa.

“I’ve taken the time to replicate, to be taught, and to grow,” she said.

“Growth means recognizing when you were incorrect, even if it’s uncomfortable, and selecting to transfer ahead with humility and accountability.”

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