Cierra Ortega was removed from “Love Island: USA” Season 7 after her past use of a racial slur resurfaced.
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Cierra Ortega will not be attending the “Love Island: USA” Season 7 reunion.
“At this point in time, I will not be at the reunion,” she said in a nearly 10-minute TikTok video posted on July 27. “So I feel lighter knowing that my perspective, my thoughts, my feelings and my emotions is out there.”
The 25-year-old left the villa during the July 6 episode after past social media posts resurfaced showing her using a racist slur against people of Asian descent. On the show, her exit was attributed to a “personal” situation.
She later apologized and confirmed that her exit stemmed from posts “where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term,” she said in a social media video.
“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,” she said at the time.
Streaming service Peacock declined to comment about Ortega’s absence from the reunion when contacted by USA TODAY.
‘Beginning to close this chapter of my life’
Ortega opened up about her experience on the dating reality show in a series of lengthy TikTok videos posted July 27. She briefly addressed her absence from the show’s upcoming reunion, which will air in August.
While Ortega confirmed she won’t be attending the reunion, she didn’t say whether the decision was made by her or by Peacock.
“I think this is the first step for me in moving on and beginning to close this chapter of my life,” she said. “And I’m never gonna shy away from the fact that the experience did end negatively because of my own actions, and that’s something that I’ll have to deal with.”
Cierra Ortega reveals how producers told her she was leaving ‘Love Island: USA’
In another TikTok video posted July 27, Ortega revealed how producers told her she would be leaving the villa.
She said a producer pulled her for what she thought was a routine check-in on July 4.
“They just told me point blank, ‘There’s been some posts that have surfaced on your social media that don’t align with our values, they don’t align with the network’s values, and we don’t have any choice but to remove you from the show,'” she said.
How to watch ‘Love Island: USA’ Season 7 reunion
The “Love Island USA” Season 7 reunion is scheduled to premiere on Aug. 25 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Andy Cohen and Ariana Madix are expected to host the episode.
If you need to catch up on episodes before the reunion or just want to rewatch, the entire season is also available on Peacock.
The streaming service offers two subscription options: premium for $7.99 a month, and premium plus for $13.99 a month.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
