Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · July 11, 2025 · Entertainment

Love Island Star Faces Intense Backlash and ICE Threats Over Racist Slurs

Cierra Ortega, who was kicked off Love Island USA this week for using a racist slur offensive to Asians in years-old social media posts, claimed her family has had 'ICE [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] called' on them in response in an apology video posted Wednesday

SHOCKING CELEBRITY SCANDAL! Love Island USA Cast Member Cierra Ortega's Racist Past Exposed, Fans Demand Her Immediate Removal from Reality Show

In a jaw-dropping turn of events, Love Island USA cast member Cierra Ortega has been embroiled in a racist slur scandal that has left fans of the reality show outraged and demanding her immediate removal. The 25-year-old content creator's past posts, which featured offensive language directed at Chinese people, have resurfaced and sparked a firestorm of controversy.

Ortega, who was removed from the villa earlier this month after her past mistakes were brought to light, has finally broken her silence in a tearful apology video posted on Instagram. In the emotional video, Ortega acknowledged that she had used a racist slur to describe her smile in two separate posts, and expressed deep regret for her thoughtless actions.

She said her family no longer 'feel safe in their own home' and claimed that she had been 'receiving death threats' since she was kicked off Love Island (pictured). 'There’s no need to fight hate with hate,' she said

"I am deeply sorry for my mistake," Ortega said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I had no idea that the word held as much pain and harm as it did, and I never would have used it if I knew."

But despite Ortega's apology, fans of the show are not buying it. They are demanding her immediate removal from the reality show, citing a double standard when compared to Yulissa Escobar, another cast member who was booted off the show after using a racial slur.

"Yulissa got kicked out for saying one racial slur, but Cierra gets to stay on despite saying multiple times?" wrote one outraged fan. "Double standard much?"

Ortega began her video with a long apology. 'I am deeply, truly, honestly so sorry,' she continued, before claiming she was unaware of the word's offensive meaning

Another fan echoed the sentiment, writing: "Cierra Ortega's racist past has been exposed and she still gets to stay on Love Island? Not fair! #RemoveCierra"

As the controversy continues to rage on, Ortega's parents have also spoken out about the situation, revealing that they have been subjected to threatening messages and hate speech from fans of the show.

"We're not here to justify or ignore what's surfaced," wrote Ortega's parents in a statement posted on Instagram. "We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what's happening online right now has gone far beyond that. The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters... it's heartbreaking."

She claimed she only learned it was offensive when a follower reached out to her in 2024. 'In that moment, I was embarrassed,' she said, adding that she 'immediately deleted' the offending post

The fallout from Ortega's racist slur scandal has also had a significant impact on her social media presence. Her follower count has plummeted by over 200,000 since the controversy began.

As the situation continues to unfold, fans of Love Island USA are left wondering if Ortega will be allowed to stay on the show despite her past mistakes. One thing is certain: Cierra Ortega's racist slur scandal has sent shockwaves through the reality TV community, and it's only a matter of time before the fallout is felt.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING STORY!

Surprisingly, Ortega said she agreed with the network's decision to remove her from Love Island USA, and she said she should have been punished for the years-old posts, despite claims that she didn't know the word was offensive and that she had learned her lesson

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On Sunday night's episode which streamed on Peacock, narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that Ortega (pictured) 'left the villa due to a personal situation' and had left Nic Vansteenberghe 'officially single'

Follow us on social media for the latest updates, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes peeks at our reporting process.

Now, castmate Zak Srakaew has revealed how the cast were notified of Ortega's departure in a rare behind the scenes revelation

The 30-year-old Thai-British model explained: 'When Cierra left, the producers gathered us all together. They said,

Jeremiah Brown - who was one of the most loved stars of the reality show before he was voted off by his fellow castmembers - has also addressed the offscreen racism controversy

Jeremiah said: 'I don’t condone no type of racial slurs. That racial stuff is weird to me. I have been dealing with that my whole life. Racial stuff is never cool.

On Sunday, the 25-year-old reality star's parents shared a statement via Instastory on her account about 'the most painful weeks of our lives'

This came after the episode which aired that night on Peacock where narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that Ortega 'left the villa due to a personal situation' and had left Nic Vansteenberghe 'officially single'

While she was filming in Fiji , sequestered from social media, multiple racist posts from her Instagram was uncovered by Love Island fans, in which she used a slur offensive to Chinese people on two separate occasions

One post from January 2015 showed a snap of her at the top of a mountain, using a version of the slur to describe how she smiles.

There was also an Instagram story post from February 2023, showing her getting Botox treatments, again using the slur to describe her smile, and many fans are furious, calling for her immediate removal.

Weeks ago, Yulissa Escobar (pictured) departed from season seven after being introduced as an OG islander ¿ and after the axed islander hit back at online trolls and cancel cult

One fan - @deannacortes - shared the petition link on X, adding, 'Send Cierra Ortega home,' with the hashtags #racist #LoveIslandUSA #stopasianhate.

Cass Rabbit (@cassrabbit) tagged both @LoveIslandUSA and @Peacock in her tweet, which read, 'Get Cierra Ortega off your show. This is now the third time I¿m seeing she used the slur for asians. Y¿all rightfully kicked off Yulissa for saying the n word, what about Cierra? Or does racism against asians not matter to you guys?'

Another X user - @h0td1lfj0hnny - asked, 'Why has cierra not been dropped from the villa,,,, she¿s f***ing racist using slurs.

X user @SSTARZZNE added, 'cierra better be at the BOTTOM of that vote after her racist a** got exposed #LoveIslandUSA.'

Mai (@mainpopvirgo) said, 'yulissa said a racial slur (the literal nword) and was kicked out of the show (as she should) bc of the rightful outrage how is this different to cierra saying another racial slur she cannot claim'