Cierra Ortega was removed from Love Island USA season 7 over the weekend after being exposed for sharing social media posts that reportedly contained racist language toward Asian people.On Wednesday, July 9, the Love Island alum has broken her silence by sharing a video in which she apologizes for using a racial slur, agrees with the decision from Peacock producers to remove her from the show, and discloses some context surrounding that particular post containing racist language. Cierra says in the new video:"I know a lot of people have been waiting for me to speak up about the news that's come to light recently. Now that I've been back in the U.S. for about 48 hours, and I've had the chance to process, I now feel like I'm at a space where I can speak about this without being highly emotional Because I am not the victim in this situation.While I was in the villa, there were some posts that resurfaced from my past where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term. And before I get into the details, I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community.I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry. I had no idea that the word held as much pain, as much harm, and came with the history that it did Or I never would have used it. I had no ill intention when I was using it. That's absolutely no excuse because intent doesn't excuse ignorance. It just doesn't. And I just need you to know that I am so sorry. But this is not an apology video; this is an accountability video.I do want to hold my hands up and say that I take accountability for using the word, but I do want it to be known that I genuinely had no idea that it was a slur. I had no idea of its meaning. It wasn't until I made a public story post in 2024 when a follower of mine reached out to correct me and let me know that what I was saying was incredibly hurtful. It was a derogatory term. It was a slur. And in that moment, I was embarrassed.I, of course, immediately deleted the post. I was apologetic, and I educated not only myself on the true meaning and the history of the word, but also anyone around me who was accidentally holding space for this slur. When this person did message me, which I'm so grateful that she did, I had a good conversation with her about it. I made the correction immediately. The word was immediately removed from my vocabulary."See on InstagramCierra also uses the video to bring up certain screenshots being shared on social media that depict the Love Island USA alum "doubling down" on using the racial slur even after she was called out. Cierra denies that those screenshots are real, and also claims that the backlash against her has become a huge safety concern for her family members and loved ones."I think, right now, there are tons of things floating around different screenshots with different time stamps, and fueling this narrative that I sort of doubled down once people tried to correct me. And was like, 'Oh, I don't know, I'm still going to use it.' But that was not the case. The truth is that, in that moment, the lesson was learned, the word was removed, and it was a true learning moment for me.Since that moment, I've done so much growing as an individual, and I've tried my best to educate others who might be accidentally holding space for these types of words that could be offensive in their vocabulary. I completely agree with the network's decision to remove me from the villa. I think that this is something that deserved punishment, and the punishment has absolutely been received, for sure.I think the backlash has obviously been very hard to deal with, but I understand that people are kind of confused on why I would have even said it, or why I would have been doubling down and continuing to use it. So I understand where the hate is coming from. And, you know, I can do my best to drown out the noise and pay attention to the truth But what's been extremely, extremely difficult is the way people are approaching my family and my loved ones. You know, they've had ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] called on them. My family doesn't feel safe in their own home. I'm receiving death threats.There's no need to fight hate with hate. I don't think that that's justice. And if you want to know that you're heard, and that I'm sorry, and that I will move differently, I promise you that's what will happen. I know that no apology could ever be enough for the harm that I've caused and the offense that's taken place. I know that moving forward my actions and how I how I decide to live my life from here on out is going to speak louder than any apology ever could. But I do need it to be known that I am sorry, and I did mean no harm. Hopefully, there are people out there that can use my mistake as a learning moment, and to just be better, because that's what I'm going to do.I'm going to take today and tomorrow, and I'm going to take strides to be better. All I can ask for is, even if you won't give me forgiveness, [is] if you can just allow me to grow with grace. And, hopefully, instead of sitting here and trying to convince you that I am this amazing person who spreads light in the world and celebrates cultures and dynamics and backgrounds, that one day you can see that from me. I'm deeply sorry again, and I thank anyone who's listening."Cierra apologized again via Instagram stories.Cierra also shared a text-based Instagram story in which she again apologizes and reaffirms her commitment to doing better as she moves forward. The post reads:"I do not, and have never, condoned racism or the repression of any cultural group in any form. I would never intentionally use any word, especially a slur, to tear down anyone's culture or community.When I used that word, I didn't fully understand what it meant or how much pain it carries. I learned how deeply wrong it was when I was called out for it in 2024, and as you can see in the screenshot I shared in my video, I was genuinely ashamed and wanted to do whatever I could in that moment to make sure I never made that careless mistake again. I know an apology means nothing without real accountability and change, and that's what I've done my best to live up to since then and what I will continue to do.While I had no ill intention, I fully understand that impact matters more than intent. I don't expect forgiveness overnight. I just hope that in time I can show that l'm more than a mistake, a label, or a character on a highly edited reality show. I'm someone trying to spread love and light, even when I get it wrong, and I hope my actions from here speak louder than this mistake ever did."Cierra ends the post writing:"My experience in the villa was nothing short of magical. The memories I made and the people I met are ones I'll cherish forever. While I'm heartbroken my journey had to be cut short, I understand that mistakes, especially ones like this, deserve consequences.Once again, to the Asian community, I am deeply sorry for my thoughtless mistake and the harm it caused.With love & humility, C."Cierra had a queer showmance with Chelley, and the Love Island USA fans were obsessed.Several viral moments from this season of Love Island USA centered on the fan-favorite queer showmance between Cierra and Chelley (a.k.a. Michelle Bissainthe). For context, Chelley who is still a clear frontrunner to win the show came out as bisexual to all of her fellow islanders during their very first week in season 7. And even though Cierra didn't label her sexuality, Love Island viewers celebrated every little moment that symbolized the two of them getting even closer to each other.On June 10, as Cierra and Chelley actually kissed in the villa, videos of that moment went absolutely viral across social networks. Fans lost their minds watching this queer showmance on Love Island reaching a new climax, and a single X post sharing a clip of their kiss (below) accumulated more than 8 million views. (@) Over time, Cierra coupled-up with Nic (a.k.a. Nicolas Vansteenberghe) and Chelley coupled-up with Ace (a.k.a. Allen Greene). However, fans passionately expressed that they were much more interested in Cierra and Chelley as a queer couple than seeing the two women being paired-up with their male love interests.This intense buzz may seem strange to reality TV viewers who are familiar with the contentious relationship between the original Love Island series in the U.K. and the LGBTQ+ community. While it's fair to say that the U.S. series which aired on CBS for three seasons and has been on Peacock for four seasons so far has also made questionable decisions when navigating queer storylines (like eliminating a contestant, Noah Purvis, for reportedly starring in gay adult films in the past), Love Island USA is still a more welcoming platform to queer cast members than the original U.K. version.Does Love Island USA have gay contestants?Well, yes! Comparatively, Love Island USA has embraced more queer islanders and storylines than the original U.K. series. While the bar for LGBTQ+ inclusivity isn't very high for the overall franchise, the U.S. version particularly as it moved to a streaming service like Peacock has done a better job at spotlighting queer people even though it has fewer seasons than the OG series.From Love Island USA season 1 stars like Kyra Green and Emily Salch (who even dated each other after the show), to the fan-favorite bombshell Courtney Boerner in season 4, to the superstar Chelley Bissainthe as the frontrunner to win season 7, it is clear that the U.S. show makes room for islanders to discuss their sexualities even if the overall format still largely focuses on straight contestants.Out's sister publication, PRIDE, spoke with Courtney in 2022 right after her elimination from Love Island USA season 4 in an interview in which she openly discussed her coming-out journey to family and friends, and also explained how she navigated the villa after coming out as bi to her costars. In 2023, Out exclusively premiered a clip from Peacock's Love Island Games spinoff in which out islander Kyra openly flirted with her costar Megan Barton Hanson.The U.S. dating show is also hosted Ariana Madix and featured Megan Thee Stallion as a guest host in season 7.The queer representation on Love Island USA is also not limited to the contestants. For years now, out bisexual reality TV star Ariana Madix has been the main host of the U.S. series after making various special cameos in past seasons.When asked about more LGBTQ+ representation on dating shows like Love Island USA perhaps even an all-queer edition of the show Madix didn't hold back, either."I think there needs to be way more," Madix told Out in a red carpet interview. "I think there needs to be way more. And by more, I mean two or three or four or five or 10 queer dating shows."Season 7 of Love Island USA also featured out queer rapper Megan Thee Stallion making a splash and having a great time with the islanders while appearing as a special guest. Thee Stallion, who was visibly very excited to be in the villa, talked about being a superfan of the show and teased the boys and the girls alike.It's unfortunate that such a promising queer showmance on Love Island USA ended abruptly with the removal of a person accused of sharing racist social media posts. On the other hand, the U.S. series is showing fans that it is committed to removing islanders even popular ones! who have made mistakes that the audience is calling out.Meanwhile, recent U.K. seasons of Love Island have faced controversies for casting men who had homophobic posts on their social media pages (e.g. George Fensom), and those islanders still competed on the show anyway. There was also Mitchel Taylor, a standout contestant from season 10 of Love Island who was accused of making homophobic remarks at a public event. Taylor eventually owned up to the situation and attempted to apologize as the accusations went viral, and then appeared in the first-ever U.K. edition of Love Island: All Stars, which aired in 2024, as if nothing ever happened.Love Island USA season 7 releases nightly new episodes on Peacock.