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Huda Beauty, a leading name in the beauty industry, has officially ended its partnership with Huda Mustafa, a participant from Season 7 of Love Island USA. This decision comes in the wake of a live broadcast scandal where Mustafa was involved in an incident featuring a racist remark directed at fellow contestant Olandria Carthen.
On October 31, Huda Beauty issued a statement via Instagram, addressing the controversy surrounding one of their “recent collaborators.” The brand expressed that the behavior exhibited did not align with their core values.
The uproar began when a viral clip from an Instagram Live session featured Mustafa and her partner, Louis Russell—who gained fame on Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle and Perfect Match. During the live stream, a caller used a racial slur against Carthen, and Mustafa and Russell were seen reacting with shock and laughter before ending the call.
“We are deeply disappointed by Huda Mustafa’s actions during the recent live session,” the company stated. “Racism in any form is taken very seriously by us. Although we don’t believe these actions define her character, they were nonetheless troubling.”
The brand further emphasized, “We recognize that these events have caused hurt and offense within our community and team.”
According to the statement, Huda Beauty has since “decided to end our partnership and remove any related content from our social platforms and in-store displays.”
“Accountability is incredibly important in moments like this,” they added, “and we hope that meaningful change can come from it.”
Carthen herself addressed the incident in an Instagram Story on October 29, where she condemned the racist language used during the livestream. “Words like that carry generations of pain, and pretending otherwise only keeps the cycle going,” she wrote. “Defending it, laughing about it, or making excuses is even worse.” She vowed to donate to organizations like UNCF, NAACP, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, urging others to join her.
This isn’t the first tension between Mustafa and Carthen. During the Season 7 reunion, Carthen called out Mustafa for not doing more to address racist behavior among her fanbase.
In response to the latest controversy, Mustafa issued a more in-depth apology on October 29, after initially downplaying the situation.
“Olandria – it is now clear that this comment was targeted at you, and I apologize for my immediate reaction,” Mustafa wrote. “My reaction in that moment came from being caught off guard, not from finding the word or situation funny. It was a nervous, uncomfortable reaction that I recognize was inappropriate.”
She also pledged a donation to the NAACP, encouraging others to follow suit.
