‘Love Island USA' Has Its First Season 7 Scandal And, Of Course, It Involves Racism
This article includes material from HuffPost's weekly culture and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catchall. Click here to subscribe.
The new 'Love Island USA' cast entered the villa this week, but one islander has already made her exit due to a scandal.
On Wednesday, one day after the hit Peacock dating series kicked off Season 7 with 10 new singles, viewers noticed that contestant Yulissa Escobar was oddly absent at one point during Episode 2.
Although Escobar was seen sharing a bed with her castmate, Ace Greene — whom she coupled up with during the premiere — a narrator's announcement 18 minutes into the episode revealed she 'has left the villa.' Her absence was noticed again toward the end of Episode 2 when Greene was declared single among the remaining couples.
Representatives for 'Love Island USA' confirmed Escobar's departure to HuffPost.
No explanation was provided for her sudden exit. However, days before the show returned, 'Love Island USA' sleuths resurfaced clips of the 27-year-old using the N-word on two separate podcasts, TMZ reported.
Some 'Love Island USA' viewers vowed to boot Escobar from the show during Season 7's first fan vote on account of the revelation, but it seems Peacock beat them to the punch. Perhaps to avoid any further scrutiny for an incident that seemed avoidable, as some pointed out that Escobar's racial remarks would've (and should've) come up during the show's allegedly extensive background checks.
Fans flooded Escobar's Instagram comments after the scandalous clips surfaced, and even more so after her exit was announced. Some even took to social media to celebrate:
To the person that found that clip of Yulissa on that podcast. Thank you for your service omg!!! pic.twitter.com/5L6AYveReD
— Film&TV Rants (@FilmTVRants) June 5, 2025
Yulissa kicked off, yall gonna learn to stop saying the n-word one way or another #LoveIslandUSApic.twitter.com/QIY9Ca3Bk5
— Manibaby ⚖️♎️ (@manixxbaby) June 5, 2025
Yulissa thought she was gonna stay in my villa saying the n word LOL. Baby haven't you heard it's Black Island now! 🤭 pic.twitter.com/nGZqd9qSdm
— 𝕃𝔼𝔼 | TRK 💜♠️ (@tiffanyspawn) June 4, 2025
didn't realize Yulissa was gone until Ace said he was single now #LoveIslandusapic.twitter.com/fjvFfWrqJo
— nala🧸 (@midnightxnc) June 5, 2025
Others cracked jokes about how producers ushered her off the show:
how the producers woke Yulissa up to kick her out the villa #LoveIslandUSApic.twitter.com/ZqqYeQZvxy
— KEEKS✨ (@KeyonnaMarisha) June 5, 2025
the producers to yulissa in the still of the night pic.twitter.com/l9GQ03t0GS
— love island usa (@ariiswatching) June 5, 2025
Yulissa when she woke up: #LoveIslandUSApic.twitter.com/DpJsP90Wqc
— CXVIII (@1llicitBuck) June 5, 2025
producers to yulissa in the middle of the night #LoveIslandUSApic.twitter.com/UzS1T6DUiY
— jay 𐚁 despises beyoncé (@NOTMYJOBFLO) June 5, 2025
production kicking yulissa out in the middle of the night: #LoveIslandUSApic.twitter.com/UPOOfW2aj1
— ' (@kozylockez) June 5, 2025
'Welcome to Love Island USA, Yulissa has left the villa' etfhugchyrdx the way no one gave af even the narrator #LoveIslandUSApic.twitter.com/WEdtgifFVk
— Jake from State Farm knows I exist (@SeniTelly) June 5, 2025
The Miami native has yet to address her comments or her departure from 'Love Island USA.' But according to TMZ, one of her friends, Maria, tried to defend her in Instagram comments, writing, 'lol... y'all act like you never said the N word before, stop being so f***ing sensitive.'
This wouldn't be the first time a contestant got kicked off 'Love Island' outside of eliminations.
Before the upcoming Season 12 premiere of the UK installment, ITV confirmed to Deadline that contestant Kyle Ashman would not be entering the villa for 'personal reasons.' Multiple reports suggested it was due to Ashman being allegedly involved in a machete attack incident. Noah Purvis, a contestant on Season 2 of 'Love Island USA,' told E! News that he was eliminated from the show after producers learned he once appeared in pornographic films. Season 3's Leslie Golden got the boot as well for reportedly bringing a cannabis vape into the villa.
However, this appears to be the first time an islander has been ejected for a racist controversy, one that fans weren't going to let up on.
Much like other dating shows, race has long been a contentious issue for the 'Love Island' franchise, particularly in casting decisions. The swift action taken to address Escobar's actions suggests that 'Love Island' is learning to listen to fans and course-correct appropriately. But, hopefully, this doesn't mean this type of behavior will only be punished once fans bring it to their attention.
Reality show audiences have long warned other shows about letting racist incidents slip through the cracks. Matt James' season of 'The Bachelor,' which marked him the first Black bachelor, experienced a similar racial incident when controversial photos of winner Rachael Kirkconnell attending an antebellum-themed college party resurfaced. Previous host Chris Harrison came under fire for defending Kirkconnell amid the controversy. He then stepped aside from his hosting role in the franchise and later made a complete exit.
Now, will this be the last racial incident we ever see on reality TV? Sadly, probably not. However, in this era of accountability, viewers are unlikely to let these matters go unaddressed for long. And they shouldn't.
Subscribe to The Culture Catchall to stay up to date on all things entertainment.
She Became An Anomaly On Reality TV — And Found Love, Too
'Love Island USA' Finally Had A Hit Season — And This Is Why
The 'Love Island USA' Season 6 Reunion Missed These 6 Key Moments
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
17 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. sheriff's officials apologize, delete tweet calling Iranians ‘victims' of ‘tragic' bombings
On the same day the U.S. military bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said on its social media channels their 'hearts go out' to Iranian 'victims.' The post sparked quick backlash — and a quick apology. It's unclear what time the initial message, which was on X, Facebook and Instagram, was posted Sunday. The department deleted the post from X and edited its Facebook and Instagram posts to remove the first two sentences. An apology issued Sunday evening referred to the original post as 'offensive and inappropriate.' According to a screenshot of the tweet from KTLA, the original post read, 'Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran. While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners.' The post also stated that, although there are no known threats to Los Angeles County, the department would be increasing patrol checks at places of worship and other sensitive locations throughout the county 'out of an abundance of caution.' The edited versions of the post on Instagram and Facebook exclude the first sentence of the original post and any mention of Iran, instead stating that the department is monitoring 'the situation overseas.' In its apology, the department said the post was made in error and did not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the department. 'As a law enforcement agency, we do not comment on foreign policy or military matters. Our mission remains solely focused on protecting public safety and serving our diverse communities,' the statement continued. The department has launched an internal review to determine how the posts were created and published, and it is taking steps to strengthen 'social media oversight protocols,' the statement said.
Hypebeast
an hour ago
- Hypebeast
Instagram 15 週年最新企劃號召 Rosalía、Clint419、Tyler, the Creator 等人助陣
今年即將邁入 15 週年的Instagram，於今日提早展開慶祝活動，推出迄今為止規模最大的品牌宣傳活動，並以一部短片作為開端，影片中匯集了當前塑造流行文化最具影響力的一些創意人士。 作為一系列即將推出的影片的首部曲，旨在探索追求創意時冒險的重要性，片名為「ANYWAY」的影片匯聚了音樂、時尚和藝術領域的傑出人物，包括Tyler, the Creator、Rosalía和Fred Again..，以及Corteiz的Clint 419、Cole Bennett、Nadia Lee Cohen和Slawn。 影片中，一群年輕人聚集在 Tyler 身旁，來自布朗克斯的 Trinity 向他傾訴自己在創意表達方面遇到的掙扎，以及尋求他人認可的困惑。 此宣傳活動與 Instagram 執行長Adam Mosseri的部落格文章一同發布，是該平台鼓勵其超過 20 億用戶發揮創意和勇於冒險的推動計畫之一。Mosseri 在其文章中寫道，公司「今年在創意方面的投入比以往任何時候都多」，並將影片中的演員描述為「具有強大影響力的聲音」，他們「提醒我們每個人都是從某處開始的」。他補充說，從用戶那裡收到的一個常見回饋是「將作品呈現於世時所伴隨的興奮與緊張感」。 他寫道：「人們談論冒險、信念的飛躍以及克服任何自我懷疑。」他補充說，他希望「Instagram 成為一個讓你可以克服自我懷疑，並且放手去做、分享、無論如何都去嘗試的地方。」 Mosseri 表示，Instagram 即將推出的一些變革包括，公司正在研究允許用戶重新排序其網格上的貼文，並「探索一種方式，讓你可以悄悄地發布到個人資料，而無需廣播到每個人的動態消息中」——這是一個有趣的特點，可以解決公開創意表達所帶來的壓力。此外，公司將繼續「大力投資」其最新應用程式 Edits（一款於 4 月發布的獨立影片編輯應用程式），Mosseri 承諾將推出新的「應用程式定義功能」。 除了參演其全球宣傳活動，Rosalía 還與 Instagram 合作，為 Stories 和 Reels 創作了一款受其手寫啟發的全新字體。該品牌也在其他方面加倍投入音樂領域，表示將引入「一種直接在 Notes 中分享你在 Spotify 上正在聽的內容的方式，以便透過音樂輕鬆與朋友連結」。 現在即可觀看上方的「ANYWAY」影片——請密切關注，Instagram 表示在「未來一年將與這些創意人士有更多合作」。 >Toyota Gazoo Racing 於 Le Mans 發表全新 GR LH2 液態氫動力概念賽車 >芬蘭設計巨頭聯手，Artek x Marimekko 推出全新聯名家具系列
Black America Web
2 hours ago
- Black America Web
Cardi B Says ‘We're Outside'—And That's Exactly Where We're Going
Source: Antony Jones / Getty Cardi B just gave us permission to be outside all summer long with the official drop of 'Outside.' And the way this track is hitting, you'd better believe we're heading there now with a fresh nail set, poppin lip gloss, and no apologies. Dropped on Friday, June 20, Cardi's song is already shaping up to be the summer anthem. We've been looking for one – and it seems like we have it. After weeks of teasing fans with snippets on social media and lyrics that hit all too well, Cardi finally let the full version loose. And, yes, it's giving everything it needs to give. RELATED: Cardi B Is Flexing A New Man And A New Chapter On Instagram – And We Love To See It Source: Antony Jones / Getty Cardi B previewed 'Outside' two days ago during a performance at the Spotify Beach event in Cannes, France. Knowing the fire she was about to spit, the femee looked the TF good for the stage moment. Braving the summer temps, the New York raptness rocked a striped fringe dress we loved. The custom mini moment hugged her curves just right and oozed retro realness. The flirty design and fun fabric were the perfect complement to the beats – and bars – she dropped. The 'Bongos' rapper paired her dress with a fierce pair of Maison Margiela booties in a matching orange tone, adorned with a touch of fringe magic. Cardi completed her Cannes look with voluminous black curls, a buss-down middle part, and glam makeup. While 'Outside' is built for the club, it was written with raw honesty. Cardi doesn't hold back—and that's exactly what makes this one resonate. 'When I tell you these n—–s ain't shit, please believe me,' Cardi says on 'Outside.' 'They gon' fck on anything, these n—–s way too easy / Good for nothing, low-down, dirty dogs, I'm convinced / Next time you see your momma, tell her how she raised a btch.' In her Instagram Stories, Cardi revealed that she originally wrote the song while angry. (She joked she had to edit a few lyrics because of her raw emotion). 'Outside' isn't just about shaking something (though we absolutely will); it's about living your best life and reclaiming your peace, self-love, and confidence. Whether you're heading to a rooftop party, brunch with your girls, or making a dramatic exit from whatever no longer serves you, Cardi's got you covered. We don't know if a video or remix is coming, but we're sure something is coming. And when it drops, we'll be ready – and already 'Outside.' SEE ALSO Cardi B Says 'We're Outside'—And That's Exactly Where We're Going was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
