(VIDEO) Love Island USA Removes Vasana Montgomery From Season 8 Cast Over Racial Slur Videos |
LOS ANGELES — Peacock's "Love Island USA" has dropped contestant Vasana Montgomery from its upcoming eighth season after videos surfaced showing her using a racial slur, the latest in a series of pre-premiere controversies for the popular reality dating series.
Montgomery, a business owner from Beaverton, Oregon, was removed from the cast just days after the initial lineup for Season 8 was announced. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed her exit on Friday, citing resurfaced videos in which she allegedly used the N-word. The decision comes as the show prepares for its premiere on Tuesday night.
Production sources indicated the videos were privately held and only became public after the cast announcement, meaning they were not accessible during initial vetting processes. It remains unclear whether Montgomery had already entered the Fiji villa and begun filming before her removal.
The incident echoes similar controversies from Season 7, when two contestants were removed after old social media content featuring racial slurs emerged. Yulissa Escobar was pulled shortly after entering the villa, followed by Cierra Ortega weeks later. Those cases sparked widespread discussion about background screening procedures for reality television participants.
Show Maintains Strong Momentum Despite Setbacks
Despite the pre-season challenges, "Love Island USA" has established itself as a major summer hit. Season 7 became Peacock's most-watched original series, generating 18.4 billion minutes of watch time over its six-week run. Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales were crowned winners of that season.
Ariana Madix returns as host for Season 8, bringing continuity and heightened visibility following her own prominent reality television storylines. The new cast features 11 singles selected for a mix of........