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Cierra Ortega has confirmed she won't be joining the rest of the Love Island USA cast for the Season 7 reunion set for August 25. The 25-year-old was removed from the show earlier in the season after past social media posts resurfaced showing her using a racial slur.
"At this time, I will not be at the reunion," Cierra shared in a TikTok Q&A on July 27. "I feel lighter knowing that my perspective, my thoughts and my feelings and my emotions is out there."
Cierra had been paired with contestant Nic Vansteenberghe before she was suddenly pulled from the villa on Day 26. While her exit was described as "personal" on the show, she later explained what really happened. In a separate video, she said she was called in for what she thought was a routine producer check-in, but the conversation quickly took a serious turn.
"They pulled me and they just said to me point blank, 'There've been some posts that have surfaced on your social media that don't align with our values, they don't align with the network's values and we don't have any choice but to remove you from the show,'" she said.
Cierra recalled breaking down in tears after being shown the posts. "My immediate reaction was, 'OK. I understand. This is really serious. Can I just say my goodbyes?' They said, 'No.' So, I didn't get to say goodbye. Things were ending and I didn't have any closure."
She didn't try to dodge accountability either. "The experience did end negatively because of my own actions. That is something I'll have to deal with," she admitted. She also said the videos she posted were her way of starting to move on.
Though she didn't confirm if it was her decision not to attend the reunion or the network's, she made it clear she's ready to move forward. "Love wins in the end and I'll always be here to showcase it," she said.
