Cierra Ortega has spoken out after her sudden removal from Love Island USA, which aired July 6. While her exit was explained as “personal reasons,” a resurfaced post containing an anti-Asian slur sparked backlash online while she was still in the villa. In a viral Instagram video, Cierra apologized directly to the Asian community, claiming she used the term out of ignorance, not hate. She said she only learned the word’s meaning after a follower corrected her in 2024. Since then, she says her family has received death threats and ICE calls, leaving them feeling unsafe in their own home. Fighting through tears, Cierra asked for understanding, saying, “Fighting hate with hate is not justice.” She was one of the season’s original contestants and the second to be removed over a controversial past.
