Cierra Ortega has exited Love Island USA's seventh season amid backlash over racist social media posts that recently resurfaced.

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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 Sunday night's episode of Love Island USA, narrator Iain Stirling announced, "Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation."

Producers did not go into specifics about the reason behind Cierra's unexpected departure, but viewers came to the conclusion Cierra had been kicked off the show due to her racism controversy.

Many viewers had spent days lashing out at Cierra on Reddit, TikTok, X and Instagram for her behavior in the past, and there were countless messages begging Peacock, the NBCUniversal streaming service that airs the show, to remove the California-based content creator from the cast.

As Cierra's posts circulated, some X users lamented about how racism directed at Asian Americans is not treated seriously, and a petition was created on Change.org to "Send Cierra Home #stopasianhate."

Although Cierra had been on the show 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.

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 Cierra has yet to personally address her Love Island USA exit, her parents posted a lengthy statement online.

"This has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives. 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," Cierra's parents wrote.

"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. The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it's heartbreaking."

Cierra's parents continued, "It's uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they've made. While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. She hasn't had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter."

The pair went on to insist that they "know" Cierra's "heart," and they elaborated, "When she returns, we believe she'll face this with honesty, growth and grace. While she'll always be our little girl, she's also a woman, one who will take responsibility in her own time and her own voice."

The reality TV star's parents concluded, "Until then, we're simply asking for compassion. For patience. For basic human decency. Not just for her, but for everyone caught in the middle of this. Thank you to those who've continued to show love, even when it's not easy. -- With love, Her family."

Love Island USA features a group of sexy singles looking for love.

As the cast members mix and mingle, Islanders will couple up -- only to witness new "bombshells" arriving periodically.

As America votes for their favorite couples, the Islanders must decide if they want to remain with their current partners or recouple with someone new. Those left without a relationship are eliminated.

The show 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 has lost hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers as a result of this 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 negativity and criticism of the cast members from the start, Peacock released a statement earlier this season asking Love Island 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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