HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / REALITY TV

‘Love Island’ USA contestant addresses the mayor’s comments after getting dumped

The reality TV star gives his take on the disparaging comments shared by Pennsylvania mayor J William Reynolds, days after his casting announcement.

'Love Island' USA contestant Sean Reifel is finally addressing the controversial comments by Pennsylvania mayor J William Reynolds. Reifel previously worked as a cop in Bethlehem and resigned to pursue the 'Love Island' opportunity in Fiji, which did not sit well with the mayor. "Our police department spent a lot of time training," Reynolds shared, according to WHTM. "We paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy. We are disappointed he left, as we now have another vacancy in our department that is impossible to fill until next year." The statement was provided at the end of May, when Reifel was still inside the villa so he could not respond. However, his family did step forward and backed him.

Reifel's mother commented on a Hollywood Life post about the topic. In the comment, she contested the mayor's statement and supported her son's call to go on a reality show. "They didn't pay for a full academy for Sean. Sean came to PA after being a Contra Sheriff Deputy since April 2021, and they paid to put him through a full academy. I'm not saying they didn't do any training, but they also weren't fully honest about all the details. I'm proud of my son. It is a brave decision to [put] yourself out there to find love under the microscope of the world," Reifel's mom, Beth, wrote.

Reifel's sister Brice Marie also criticized the mayor for his reaction. "Sean's sister here. This could have been a great opportunity for the mayor and police department to connect with the community, generate positive publicity for the town, and help improve perceptions of law enforcement," she wrote underneath an E! News post. "Instead, they chose a response that will likely reinforce the stereotypes they should be working to change. That said, I couldn’t be more excited for my brother and this amazing opportunity. We’ll be cheering him on every step of the way."

Now Reifel has come out, and it is safe to say he is surprised. The islander did not expect such a reaction. On the first episode of 'Aftersun,' Love Island's aftershow, he read the comments and presented his side of the story. "I guess he's upset. That's interesting. I definitely had a sit-down with my job and told them exactly where I was going and what was happening, and they asked me to put in for unpaid leave," he shared. The contestant added that his appearance on the reality show was not a shock to the authorities. "I don't want to say anything bad about them. I know things can be taken out of context. Everyone in the department knew where I was going," Reifel said. "I hope like, you know, my partners I worked with are like, you know, still appreciate all the stuff we have." Reifel was disappointed that the authorities for whom he had worked diligently for so long had released such disparaging statements.

"It does bother me because they just, before I left, gave me awards for like, with my partners, taking a lady out of a building on fire and talking someone off a roof that was mentally ill," he continued. "So, it's like to give me those and then do something like this? I just don't understand." Other members of the force have also criticized his decision, namely Bethlehem's chief of police, Michelle Knott. She revealed that Reifel had indeed asked for leave before going to Fiji, but then settled on quitting after the leave could not be managed. "At this time, I don't think there'd be a department that would be willing to allow someone to leave for 'x' amount of weeks to go on a television show when everyone's hurting right now, and overtime is being utilized to fill those gaps," she said to the Morning Call. "Officers are getting burnt out. It's just a bad look to me." Reynolds revealed to TMZ that the department's doors are still open for Reifel, but he would need to start from square one. 'Love Island' USA airs Sunday through Friday, with new episodes dropping daily at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT except Wednesdays.