How old is Alannah Keyser? ‘Love Island’ contestant's dad speaks out after removal over controversial video
Alannah Keyser’s short stint on 'Love Island USA' Season 8 quickly turned into a talking point after her sudden exit from the villa. The Casa Amor bombshell appeared for only a few episodes before leaving the show, after resurfaced social media content sparked online backlash. Her departure also drew attention after her father publicly defended her amid the controversy. Keyser was 21 years old when she entered the Peacock dating series. She made her debut during the Casa Amor twist in episode 17 and exited by episode 20, where narrator Iain Stirling simply stated that she had "left the Villa."
The show did not provide an on-air explanation. Casa Amor introduces new contestants to test existing couples. Keyser entered alongside other bombshells while the male Islanders were separated from their partners. During her introduction, she said she was looking for someone "in shape," adding, "Body is tea, then he's the one for me." She also declared, "I'm definitely going in for the kill. I'm gonna get what I want." Keyser is from Miami, Florida, and studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She made a confident entrance into Casa Amor that quickly caught viewers’ attention, but her time on the show soon became overshadowed by controversy off-screen. The backlash began when videos and screenshots featuring Keyser began circulating online, appearing to show her saying the N-word while lip-syncing to a song. A separate screenshot also appeared to show the same slur being used in an Instagram comment. This led many viewers to call for her removal.
Her father, Stephane Keyser, addressed the situation in a TMZ interview, denying that his daughter was racist. He described her as an "educated sweetheart" and said, "There's no world in which Alannah is a racist." He also said their family had always had friends from diverse backgrounds and that the criticism did not align with how he knew his daughter. Keyser’s friend Nick Rogers also defended her on TikTok, according to Us Weekly. He said, "I just can’t imagine me knowing Alannah, her posting that on social media. And we all know with this AI and everything like that, it could be very easy for these types of scenarios to be manipulated." However, he acknowledged that it is inappropriate for non-Black individuals to use the slur. Before her exit, Keyser had begun forming connections in Casa Amor, including interactions with Zach Georgiou.
Keyser is not the first contestant associated with 'Love Island USA' to face backlash over resurfaced content. Earlier in the season, Vasana Montgomery was also removed after similar allegations, while past seasons have seen exits involving Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega. Peacock has not provided further details about Keyser’s exit beyond what was shown in episode 20. 'Love Island USA' Season 8 continues to stream on Peacock with new episodes airing regularly.
