‘Love Island USA’ contestant Cierra Ortega exits the show after resurfaced social media posts cause stir

Cierra Ortega, seen here on "Love Island USA", exited the show after social media posts from 2015 and 2023 began circulating online. (Ben Symons/Peacock via CNN Newsource)

“Love Island USA” contestant Cierra Ortega is no longer looking for love on the reality program.

Ortega’s exit, which came a week before the dating show’s Season 7 finale, was announced in a voiceover that said she left the show for a “personal situation,” without any further explanation.

The timing was notable because last week, two social media posts from 2015 and 2023 began circulating online that appeared to show Ortega using a racial slur while contemplating cosmetic procedures she wanted to get, according to the Daily Mail.

Asked about Ortega’s exit, a representative for Peacock, the platform on which “Love Island USA” streams, told CNN, “We won’t be providing a comment.”

On social media, Ortega’s parents spoke out about the “cruel messages” that their daughter has received on social media during the past week and leading up to her abrupt departure from the show during Sunday’s episode.

“We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasn’t seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who love her,” the statement, posted to Ortega’s Instagram story Sunday night, read. “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what’s happening online right now has gone far beyond that.”

Ortega’s parents continued to write that the “threats” to her friends, family and supporters are “uncalled for” and that “no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they’ve made.”

Over 17,000 people signed an online petition calling for her exit from the series.

Since Ortega is still sequestered following her exit, her parents wrote in their statement, “she hasn’t had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself.”

“But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she’ll face this with honesty, growth, and grace,” they added. “Until then, we’re simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency.”

Love Island USA will conclude its season on July 13.

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN