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Cierra Ortega is breaking her silence.
The Love Island USA season 7 alum opened up in a series of candid TikTok Q&A videos on July 27, giving fans her side of the story for the first time since she was abruptly removed from the Peacock reality series earlier this month. The 25-year-old was kicked off the show on July 6 after a past Instagram post resurfaced in which she used a racial slur—and now she’s finally revealing how it all went down.
How She Was Pulled From the Villa
“[Producers] broke us for lunch,” Cierra recalled. “I remember I was having a chat with the girls, and I was like, ‘I am gonna be so sad to leave you guys. You guys have been such an amazing part of my experience. Saying goodbye is gonna be so hard.’”
She added, “I was telling Huda [Mustafa], ‘I can’t wait for FaceTime dates with your daughter,’ and I got pulled to a producer chat.”
While solo chats with producers are common in the Love Island format, Cierra said this one felt different. “They just said to me point blank, ‘There’s been some posts that have surfaced on your social media that don’t align with our values,’” she shared. “‘They don’t align with the network’s values, and we don’t have any choice but to remove you from the show.’”
@cierraortega part four: stance on nicolandria, fashion + hair + jewlery, thank you for being here ❤️🩹
“They had showed me the posts, and I just broke down,” she continued. “I started crying. My immediate reaction was, ‘OK, I understand. This is really serious.’”
Sadly, Cierra didn’t get to say goodbye to any of her fellow Islanders before being whisked away. “That was the hardest part,” she said. “Especially since I had just been talking with them about how hard it’s going to be for me to say goodbye to them. It really, really hurt. Things were ending and I didn’t have any closure.”
Days after her exit, Cierra publicly addressed the controversy in a July 9 Instagram video. “I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community,” she said. “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,” she added. “I had no ill intention when I was using it. But that’s absolutely no excuse, because intent doesn’t excuse ignorance.”
Where She Stands With Nic and Olandria
Cierra also opened up about where things stand with her former connection Nic Vansteenberghe—whom she was coupled up with when she exited the villa—and his current partner, Olandria Thompson.
“I came out thinking Nic and I are in this amazing place,” she said. “We are closed off and have these strong feelings for each other.”
But when she returned home and saw that fans—and even Nic’s family—had been rooting for him to couple up with Olandria instead, it “hurt.” Watching their connection grow post-show made things even more painful. Still, Cierra said, “Two things can exist at once. I can be sad for myself that I am mourning this relationship… and I can also be happy for two people I care about.”
However, the hurt deepened when she didn’t hear from either Nic or Olandria once the show wrapped. “The more hurt I became,” she admitted. “As the days went on, it just kind of felt like I never existed.”
As for where things stand now? “The answer is that we don’t. We don’t stand on any business,” she said bluntly.
While she hasn’t confirmed whether she reached out to them herself, fellow Islander Chelley Bissainthe recently stated that Cierra had been reaching out to cast members.
Is She Going to the Reunion?
Unfortunately for anyone hoping for a dramatic reunion moment, don’t hold your breath. Cierra confirmed she won’t be attending the Love Island USA season 7 reunion. She ended her video by saying she’s had to accept she won’t get closure from Nic—and it looks like fans won’t either.
