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Cierra Ortega Kicked Off 'Love Island' After Racist Slur Resurfaces
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Jul 10, 2025
Old tweets, real consequences. Love Island USA contestant Cierra Ortega is out after past posts using a racial slur came to light. Despite her video apology, public outrage has exploded—targeting not just her, but her family too, with death threats and immigration harassment. Here's how it all unraveled.
View Video Transcript
0:00
I know a lot of people have been waiting
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for me to speak up about the news that's
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come to light recently. And now that
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I've been back in the US for about 48
0:06
hours and I've had the chance to
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process, I now feel like I'm at a space
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where I can speak about this without
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being highly emotional because I am not
0:14
the victim in this situation. While I
0:16
was in the villa, there were some posts
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that resurfaced from my past where I was
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very naively using an incredibly
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offensive and derogatory term. And
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before I get into the details, I want to
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first start by addressing not just
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anyone that I have hurt or deeply
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offended, but most importantly, the
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entire Asian community. I am deeply,
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truly, honestly so sorry. I had no idea
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that the word held as much pain, as much
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harm, and came with the history that it
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did, or I never would have used it. I
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had no ill intention when I was using
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it. But that's absolutely no excuse
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because intent doesn't excuse ignorance.
1:00
It just doesn't. And I just need you to
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know that I am so sorry. But this is not
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an apology video. This is an
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accountability video. I do want to hold
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my hands up and say that I take
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accountability for using the word. But I
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do want it to be known that I genuinely
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had no idea that it was a slur. I had no
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idea of its meaning. And it wasn't until
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I made the public story post in 2024
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when a follower of mine reached out to
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correct me and let me know that what I
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was saying was incredibly hurtful. It
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was a derogatory term. It was a slur.
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And in that moment, I was embarrassed. I
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of course immediately deleted the post.
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I was apologetic and I educated not only
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myself on the true meaning and the
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history of the word, but also anyone
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around me who was accidentally holding
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space for this slur. When this person
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did message me, which I'm so grateful
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that she did, I had a good conversation
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with her about it. I made the correction
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immediately. The word was immediately
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removed from my vocabulary. And I think
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right now there are tons of things
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floating around, different screenshots
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with different timestamps and fueling
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this narrative that I sort of doubled
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down once people tried to correct me and
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was like, "Oh, like I don't know. I'm
2:17
still going to use it." But I just that
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was not the case. Like the truth is that
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in that moment the lesson was learned,
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the word was removed. And it was a true
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learning moment for me. And I think
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since that moment, I've done so much
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growing as an individual. and I've tried
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my best to educate others who might be
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accidentally holding space for these
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types of words that could be offensive
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in their vocabulary. Um, I completely
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agree with the network's decision to
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remove me from the villa. I think that
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this is something that deserved
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punishment and the punishment has
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absolutely been received for sure. I
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think the backlash has obviously been
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very hard to deal with. Um, but I
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understand that people are kind of
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confused on why I would have even said
3:01
it or why I would have been doubling
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down and continuing to use it. So, I
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understand where the hate is coming
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from. And, you know, I can do my best to
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drown out the noise and pay attention to
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the truth, but what's been extremely
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extremely difficult is the way people
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are approaching my family and my loved
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ones. Um, you know, they have had ICE
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called on them. My family doesn't feel
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safe in their own home. I'm receiving
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death threats. Like, it's
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there's no need to fight hate with hate.
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I don't think that that's justice. And
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if you want to know that you are heard
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and that I'm sorry and that I will move
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differently, I promise you that's what
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will happen. I know that no apology
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could ever be enough for the harm that
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I've caused and the offense that's taken
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place. I know that moving forward, my
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actions and how I how I decide to live
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my life from here on out is going to
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speak louder than any apology ever
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could, but I do need it to be known that
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I am sorry and I did mean no harm and
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hopefully there are people out there
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that can use my mistake as a learning
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moment. Um, and to just be better
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because that's what I'm going to do. I'm
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gonna take today and tomorrow and I'm
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gonna take strides to be better. And all
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I can ask for is even if you won't give
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me forgiveness, if you can just allow me
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to grow with grace and
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hopefully instead of sitting here and
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trying to convince you that I am this
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amazing person who spreads light in the
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world and celebrates cultures and
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dynamics and backgrounds, then one day
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you can see that from me. Um, I'm deeply
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sorry.
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