Love Island USA‘s Nic Vansteenberghe made a uncommon remark about Cierra Ortega after she was faraway from the villa.
Throughout the Monday, July 7, episode of the hit Peacock collection, Nic spoke to Ace Greene about his future with Olandria Carthen after beforehand being closed off with Cierra.
“It’s bittersweet. I used to be sort of actually excited to really feel closed off with any person,” he admitted. “It took so much for me to get to that time however it was simply not meant to be.”
Nic and Cierra had been probably the most established {couples} in season 7. One week earlier than the Love Island USA finale, narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that Cierra “left the villa as a result of a private scenario” and famous that Nic was “formally single.”
Whereas chatting with the fellows within the Sunday, July 6, episode, Nic stated he was confused about what would occur subsequent for him.
“I don’t actually know. I feel now that my strongest connection has gone, I’ll determine it out from right here,” he defined. “I used to be not anticipating this.”
In a confessional, Nic elaborated on this frame of mind. “Proper earlier than Cierra had left, my thoughts was clear,” he famous. “I knew what the longer term would appear to be. And now I’m misplaced.”
Cierra’s exit got here after a resurfaced publish from her social media confirmed her utilizing a racial slur. Following offscreen backlash, Cierra was faraway from Fiji — much like Yulissa Escobar, who was the primary Islander faraway from the villa earlier this season after clips of her utilizing racial slurs on a podcast circulated on-line.
Earlier than Cierra left the villa, her social media handler and pal MJ Hedderman took “a step again” amid the drama.
“Hello guys, I see your feedback regarding somebody I like and care about. I need to be clear that I don’t condone racism, bigotry or hate in any means form or kind, nor was I conscious of the latest screenshots till they had been posted,” learn MJ’s Instagram Story from Friday, July 4. “I found it concurrently all of you probably did.”
MJ continued: “I can not converse for anyone or make any statements apart from my very own, and determined to take a step again from working her account. I used to be requested by her household to show off feedback and chorus from talking on her behalf. This case has been actually troublesome, and I’m nonetheless processing every little thing.”
Love Island USA’s Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen thought their second-chance romance was destiny, however what they didn’t notice was how a lot fan curiosity impressed their season 7 relationship. The Peacock courting present, which returned in June 2025, began off with Nic coupling up with Belle-A Walker earlier than turning his sights to bombshell Cierra Ortega. […]
In the meantime Cierra’s different pal Johnnie Olivia launched an identical assertion concerning the controversy.
“I’m certain a lot of you will have seen that I’ve kept away from speaking about Love Island and have stopped publicly supporting my pal on the present. This was after I noticed a publish involving a racial slur for the primary time,” she wrote through Instagram on Friday. “I beloved supporting her throughout her time on the present, however as soon as I got here throughout that publish, I felt it was essential to take a step again.”
Johnnie acknowledged she was distancing herself from Cierra, including, “I don’t assist or condone that sort of language, by no means have, by no means will. Racism in any kind is unacceptable. And to be clear except you might be Asian, you don’t get to resolve whether or not or not that phrase is offensive. Anybody who isn’t Asian shouldn’t be talking concerning the seriousness or influence of that phrase.”
New episodes of Love Island USA shall be launched six days per week — apart from Wednesdays — on Peacock.