‘Love Island’ USA Season 8 contestant breaks silence on axing over racial slur: ‘I’m embarrassed…’
Ahead of the ‘Love Island’ USA Season 8 premiere, viewers witnessed the cast members’ list. One of them was Vasana Montgomery, who was removed from the list after two old videos surfaced online and sparked huge backlash. It was because the videos featured Vasana saying the N-word on camera. It happened twice, once while she was singing a song and the second time during an arcade game. She could be seen yelling during the game. Before the show’s highly anticipated premiere, her videos caused backlash, and as a result, the producers dropped her from the cast. While she did not respond to the backlash at that time, she shared an apology via Instagram Stories on June 3. She wrote, “I want to address a couple [of] videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced. In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry. I am embarrassed and disappointed by my words.”
Further in her apology, she wrote, “I take full responsibility for what I said and understand why it has hurt and upset people. Since then, I have grown a lot as a person and taken the time to educate myself, listen, learn, and better understand the impact that language can have. That growth does not erase my mistakes, and I am not asking anyone to excuse it.” She ended her apology with, “I believe people should be held accountable for their actions, but I also believe in growth, learning, and becoming better. To anyone I hurt or disappointed, I am truly sorry.”
Earlier, before the Peacock show’s premiere, the team shared a public statement on May 28. It was before the official cast members’ list was revealed. The statement read, “The Villa runs on good vibes, and so does this community. We love seeing your reactions, opinions, and debates, but everyone deserves to feel safe and respected.” It continued, “This is a space for fun, not negativity — so keep it kind, keep it positive, and remember: this is LOVE Island!” As for Vasana, the resurfaced videos were reportedly shared privately. That was why they did not come up earlier in the show’s vetting process. No matter the reason, Peacock took immediate action and dropped her from the list.
Long-time fans must remember that it was not the first time such an incident happened. During ‘Love Island’ USA Season 7, a couple of similar incidents occurred. One of them involved cast member Yulissa Escobar, who was removed from the villa after videos surfaced online. It featured Yulissa saying the N-word during her podcast appearance. Another incident involved Cierra Ortega. She went from being a fan-favorite islander to one of the most harassed islanders of the previous season. It happened after her old social media post showed her using an anti-Chinese slur. After Vasana was dropped from the official cast list, another male contestant, Gabriel, was also moved to bombshell status. So he entered the villa after the initial 10 islanders arrived. To learn more about the cast and the latest couples on the show, fans can stream the episode on Peacock.
