“Love Island USA” star Cierra Ortega used an Asian slur on Instagram at least twice, and fans are fuming.
In January 2015, Ortega — who is currently coupled up with Nic Vansteenberghe while filming Season 7 in Fiji — posted a picture of herself at the top of a mountain and used the slur to describe how she squints when she smiles.
The influencer, 25, used the slur again in a February 2023 Story documenting herself getting Botox, saying she loves using the injectable as a “mini brow lift to open up [her] eyes and get that snatched look.”
After screenshots of the uploads in question went viral, a Reddit user claimed, “I remember when she said this and I dmed her this like not to say I told you so but.”
A screenshot of the Reddit user’s alleged message to Ortega at the time read, “girl that is a slur delete this b4 someone exposes you for it in a few yrs when ur successful.”
One of Ortega’s supporters felt internet sleuths were “doing too much,” prompting an X user to fire back, “A slur used repeatedly is too much Racism towards the AAPI community is racism nonetheless and I think it’s tiring how everyone is trying to sweep it under the rug. Grow up.”
One netizen, however, admitted they “didn’t even know that word was derogatory” and predicted that the reality personality is “just as misinformed and ignorant” — but likely not “racist.”
Several critics even tagged the “Love Island USA” account as well as NBC and Peacock, demanding things like, “GET HER OUT NOW,” “get her off the show now” and “get her off my screen NOW.”
One of them argued, “This is going to show a huge double standard for love island if they don’t kick her off.”
The message was in reference to Yulissa Escobar, who entered the villa as part of the first batch of Islanders on Season 7 but left the show just one day after its premiere after videos of her using a different racial slur resurfaced.
“Yulissa has left the villa,” narrator Iain Stirling said 18 minutes into the second episode before swiftly moving on.
Reps for NBC and Peacock did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
