Cierra Ortega Issues Apology Video After ‘Love Island USA’ Exit
Peacock
Cierra Ortega has issued an apology after her prompt exit from Love Island USA.
The shocking exit happened Sunday, July 6 during Episode 30. For the first 15 minutes of the show Cierra wasn’t shown at all. You only got a brief glimpse of her in bed when the show was going through the list of couples together. And it wasn’t until the 15:52 mark that it was announced that she had “left the Villa due to a personal situation, leaving Nic officially single.”
All of this comes after racist comments resurfaced online thanks to fans. In a post from 2015 Cierra could be seen posing on a rock with the caption saying, “Still chinkin’ even at the top.” And during an Instagram story where she was getting botox, she said “I can also be a little chinky when I laugh/smile so I love getting a mini brow lift.”
Cierra starts the nearly 5 minute video on TikTok by saying, “I know a lot of people have been waiting for me to speak up about the news that’s come to light recently, and now that I’ve been back in the U.S. for about 48 hours and I’ve had the chance to process, I now feel like I’m at a space where I can speak about this without being highly emotional because I am not the victim in this situation.”
She then went on to apologize to the Asian community. “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. I had no ill intention when I was using it, but that’s absolutely no excuse because intent doesn’t excuse ignorance.”
Cierra then spoke about the racial slur she had used in a story that she had put up. Apparently a fan saw, reached out to her, and she took it down. “When this person did message me, which I’m so grateful that she did, I had a good conversation with her about it, I made the correction immediately, the word was immediately removed from my vocabulary.”
She also addressed screenshots insinuating that she doubled down on the use of the word. Cierra claimed they weren’t real.
The video went on to have her saying that she agreed with the network’s decision while also pointing out that the attention her family has been getting from fans has crossed the line. “What’s been extremely, extremely difficult is the way people are approaching my family and my loved ones. You know, they have had ICE called on them, my family doesn’t feel safe in their own home, I’m receiving death threats, like it’s… there’s no need to fight hate with hate.”
Cierra also added an apology to her stories that said, “I do not, and have never, condoned racism or the repression of any cultural group in any form. I would never intentionally use any word, especially a slur, to tear down anyone’s culture or community.” She ended the story with, “Once again, to the Asian community, I am deeply sorry for my thoughtless mistake and the harm it caused.”
New episodes of Love Island USA air every day on Peacock at 6pm PT/9pm ET during premiere week. New episodes will stream Thursdays through Tuesdays thereafter.