Just days before the premiere of Season 8, Love Island USA is once again dealing with a racism controversy. Contestant Vasana Montgomery has been removed from the Peacock reality series after videos surfaced online showing her using the N-word, marking the second consecutive year the franchise has been forced to address cast members' past use of racial slurs.
According to Variety, Montgomery, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from Beaverton, Oregon, was announced as part of the new cast only days before her exit. Social media users circulated two videos allegedly showing Montgomery using the slur in separate situations. In one clip, she appears to say, "Knock knock, [n-word]" while playing an arcade shooting game.
In another, she is seen rapping along to lyrics containing the word while sitting in a car.
The development comes as Love Island USA continues to grapple with questions about contestant vetting and digital footprints. The franchise has become one of Peacock's biggest reality TV hits, with new episodes airing nearly every day during the season and attracting a highly engaged online fan base.
Montgomery's removal follows two separate controversies from recent seasons. During Season 7, contestant Yulissa Escobar exited the villa after podcast clips resurfaced in which she repeatedly used the N-word. Her departure was briefly addressed on air when narrator Iain Stirling told viewers, "Yulissa has left the villa."
Escobar later apologized, saying she had used the slur "ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it." She later claimed she returned from filming to what she described as a "warzone" of online backlash and threats.
In a statement issued by her family, they acknowledged public anger over the post while urging people not to engage in harassment. "We're not here to justify or ignore what's surfaced," the statement said. "We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters."
