A few days before the premiere of the 8th season of the reality show Love Island USA has once again been confronted with a racist scandal. Cast member Vasana Montgomery was dropped from the show after videos of her using a racial slur surfaced online. This marks the second year in a row that the franchise has had to address past racial slurs by cast members.
According to data Variety , Montgomery, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from Beaverton, Oregon, was announced as a member of the new lineup just days before her departure. Social media users circulated two videos purportedly showing Montgomery using the slur in different situations. In one clip, she appears to say, "Knock knock, [n-word expletive]" while playing an arcade shooter.
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In another video, she raps along to lyrics containing the word while sitting in a car. The videos were reportedly originally posted to private accounts and only became publicly available after Peacock announced the cast for Season 8.
These developments come amid ongoing issues surrounding participant verification and digital footprints in Love Island USA . The franchise has become one of the most popular reality shows on Peacock, with new episodes released almost daily throughout the season and attracting a very active online audience.
Montgomery's elimination followed two separate scandals in recent seasons. In season 7, contestant Julissa Escobar left the villa after podcast clips surfaced in which she repeatedly used a racial slur. Her departure was briefly commented on air, with announcer Iain Stirling telling viewers, "Julissa has left the villa.".
Escobar later apologized, claiming she used the offensive word "out of ignorance, without fully understanding its meaning, history, and pain." She then claimed she returned from filming to find what she called an online "war zone" filled with negative comments and threats.
Another Season 7 contestant, Sierra Ortega, also left the villa after an old social media post resurfaced containing a derogatory term about Chinese people.
In a statement released by her family, they acknowledged the public outrage over the publication and urged people to refrain from harassment. "We do not intend to excuse or ignore what has come to light," the statement read. "We understand why people are upset and know that accountability is important.".
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