"Love Island USA" star Cierra Ortega is speaking out after her exit from the show earlier this week amid allegations of racism.
The reality star faced backlash from "Love Island" fans over resurfaced past posts on a social media account belonging to her that allegedly used a derogatory term against the Asian community.
Fans online subsequently called for her removal from the Peacock show, and it was announced on Sunday night's episode that Ortega had "left the villa due to a personal situation."
'Love Island USA' star Cierra Ortega's parents speak out after backlash amid racism allegationsOn her Instagram account Wednesday, Ortega shared what she described as an "accountability video" addressing the resurfaced posts. She also shared a lengthy message on her Instagram story, in which she wrote that she had "no ill intention," adding, "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," she wrote. "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."
In her video, Ortega similarly apologized to the Asian community for the derogatory term she said she had used previously, and said that she 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."
She went on to say that "it's absolutely no excuse, because intent does not excuse ignorance."
"I take accountability for using the word," she continued, adding that she "genuinely had no idea that it was a slur" and "had no idea of its meaning" until 2024.
Ortega said that when she used the slur in an Instagram story post in 2024, a follower reached out to her to correct her and let her know that the word she used was hurtful, which prompted Ortega to take the post down. In the video, Ortega shared the screenshot of the exchange with the follower and said that she was "embarrassed for being so naive and unaware" at the time.
After that moment, Ortega said she "educated" herself on the "true meaning and history of the word."
"When this person messaged me -- and 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," she said.
She added that she feels she's "done so much growing as an individual" since then and has tried her best to "educate others who might be accidentally holding space for these types of words that could be offensive in their vocabulary."
The reality star went on to say that she agreed with the network's decision to remove her from the villa and that "this is something that deserved punishment and the punishment has absolutely been received for sure."
As for the backlash, Ortega said it's been "hard to deal with."
She said what has been "extremely difficult" is the way she said her family has been treated in the wake of the controversy, claiming they've had law enforcement "called on them" and that her "family does not feel safe in their own home."
"There's no need to fight hate with hate," she added. "I don't think that that's justice."
During Sunday night's "Love Island" episode, after it was announced that Ortega had left the villa, her parents shared a statement on Instagram, on behalf of their family.
"As Cierra's parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives," they wrote at the time. "We've seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasn't seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who love her."
"We're not here to justify or ignore what's surfaced," their statement continued. "We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters. But what's happening online right now has gone far beyond that. The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it's heartbreaking. It's uncalled for. And no one deserves that kind of hate, no matter what mistake they've made."
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They added, "While Cierra is not in the villa anymore, she is still away. She hasn't had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she'll face this with honesty, growth, and grace."
Ortega ended her message on Wednesday by saying, "I know no apology could never be enough for the harm that I've caused and the offense that has taken place. I know that moving forward, my actions and 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'm 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," she added. "All I can ask for, is even if you won't give me forgiveness, 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, then one day you can see that from me. I'm deeply sorry again."
