Love Island USA star Cierra Ortega is speaking out about her shocking departure from the show's seventh season amid her racism scandal.

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Producers forced Cierra, 25, to leave Love Island USA after Instagram posts in which she had used the slur "chink" -- an offensive term referring to Chinese people or Asian people in general -- resurfaced and caused public outrage, according to The Washington Post.

On the July 6 episode of Love Island USA on Peacock, narrator Iain Stirling simply announced, "Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation," with no further explanation or mention of a controversy.

"Now that I've been back in the U.S. for about 48 hours and I've had the chance to process, I now feel like I'm at a space where I can speak about this without being highly emotional because I am not the victim in the situation," Cierra said in an Instagram video she posted on Wednesday, July 9.

"While I was in the villa, there were some posts that resurfaced from my past where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term."

Cierra continued: "I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended -- but most importantly -- the entire Asian community. I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry."

The California-based content creator pleaded ignorance, saying she had no idea the word "chink" was a slur at the time.

"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," Cierra said.

"I had no ill intention when I was using it but that's absolutely no excuse because intent doesn't excuse ignorance. It just doesn't."

Cierra went on to apologize again for using the offensive and disrespectful word when describing her eyes.

"I just need you to know that I am so sorry -- but this is not an apology video. This is an accountability video," Cierra said.

"I do want to hold my hands up and say that I take accountability for using the word, but I do want it to be known that I genuinely had no idea that it was a slur. I had no idea of its meaning."

Cierra first posted racist Asian content on Instagram in 2015, according to The Washington Post.

At the time, Cierra had captioned an Instagram photo of her smiling on a hill, "Still chinkin' even at the top." She later reshared the post in a 2020 TikTok video.

Cierra subsequently took to Instagram Stories in 2023 and reportedly opened up about how she wanted Botox to change her "chinky" appearance.

"I can also be a little chinky when I laugh/smile so I love getting a mini brow lift to open up my eyes and get that snatched look," Cierra wrote.

A Reddit user recently uploaded a screenshot of a message they had sent to Cierra in February 2023 asking her to delete the insensitive Botox post.

Another screenshot also circulated of a DM from January 2024 in which a person had told Cierra her post and reposts were offensive and derogatory. The person had even sent Cierra the definition of the slur.

"Oh man thankfully that's not how I used it," Cierra reportedly responded in the screenshot.

While addressing the resurfaced post from 2024, Cierra recalled receiving a message from one of her followers who had called her comment "incredibly hurtful."

Cierra shared in her Instagram video, "At that moment, I was embarrassed. I, of course, immediately deleted the post. I was apologetic and I educated not only myself on the true meaning and the history of the word but also anyone around me who was accidentally a holding space for this slur."

Cierra added, "I made the correction immediately. The word was immediately removed from my vocabulary."

However, Cierra claimed other screengrabs on the Internet appearing to show her refusing to stop using the slur were fabricated.

"The truth is that in that moment, the lesson was learned, the word was removed and it was a true learning moment for me," Cierra insisted.

"Since that moment," she elaborated, "I've done so much growing as an individual and I've tried my best to educate others who might be accidentally holding space for these types of words that could be offensive in their vocabulary."

Cierra went on to acknowledge, "I completely agree with the network's decision to remove me from the villa. I think that this is something that deserved punishment and the punishment has absolutely been received for sure."

But Cierra's punishment didn't end with her removal from Love Island USA.

Cierra and her family -- who released a statement begging for compassion and leniency earlier this week -- have been dealing with extreme backlash and hate.

Cierra acknowledged how all the negativity has been "very hard to deal with," even though she's grown accustomed to drowning out noise and paying attention to "the truth."

Cierra explained to her followers, "But what's been extremely, extremely difficult is the way people are approaching my family and my loved ones. They have had ICE called on them. My family doesn't feel safe in their own home."

Cierra also claimed she's been receiving "death threats."

"There's no need to fight hate with hate. I don't think that that's justice. If you want to know that you are heard and that I'm sorry and that I will move differently, I promise you that's what will happen," Cierra said.

"I know that no apology could ever be enough for the harm that I've caused and the offense that's taken place. I know that moving forward my actions and how I decide to live my life from here on out is going to speak louder than any apology ever could."

But Cierra reiterated how she is "so sorry" and meant "no harm" with her posts on social media.

"Hopefully there are people out there that can use my mistake as a learning moment and to just be better because that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to take today and tomorrow and I'm going to take strides to be better," Cierra said.

Cierra asked the community she has angered to allow her to grow with grace if they're not willing to grant her forgiveness.

"Instead of sitting here and trying to convince you that I am this amazing person who spreads light in the world and celebrates culture and dynamics and backgrounds, one day you will see that from me. I'm deeply sorry again," she concluded.

Although Cierra had been on Love Island USA for about a month and made a potential love connection with 24-year-old registered nurse Nicolas "Nic" Vansteenberghe, less than one minute of airtime was devoted to Cierra's ouster.

Cierra's slur was reportedly not discussed on the show or Love Island USA's talk show Aftersun, and representatives for Peacock declined comment.

Love Island USA is filmed in real time with footage typically airing on a one or two-day delay. Since Cierra and her fellow cast members were cut off from communicating with the outside world during filming, she had no idea her postings had sparked an outcry.

Cierra lost hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers throughout the scandal.

But Cierra isn't the only controversy Love Island USA has faced this season.

Another cast member, Yulissa Escobar, was reportedly kicked off the show when a video resurfaced of her repeatedly saying the n-word on a podcast.

According to The Washington Post, Yulissa apologized on Instagram, saying she had used the slur "ignorantly" and did not fully understand "the weight, history, or pain behind it."

Given there has been so much criticism of the cast members from the start, Peacock released a statement earlier this season asking Love Island USA viewers to be kind.

"We appreciate the fans, the passion for the series, and the amazing group of Islanders who are sharing their summer with us," Peacock said a June statement posted on the show's official X account.

"Please just remember they're real people -- so let's be kind and spread the love!"
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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