Why Cierra Ortega abruptly left the Love Island Season 7 villa. What happens to Nic Vansteenberghe now

Cierra Ortega, a 25-year-old content creator and fan-favorite on Love Island USA Season 7, was officially removed from the villa on Sunday

Updated on: Jul 7, 2025, 07:06:37 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Cierra Ortega, a 25-year-old content creator and fan-favorite on Love Island USA Season 7, was officially removed from the villa on Sunday, following a racism controversy involving resurfaced social media posts. Ortega was coupled up with Nic Vansteenberghe all season. Her departure, celebrated by fans, left her partner confused.

Cierra Ortega was removed from the Love Island USA villa on Sunday (X)

Reason for Cierra Ortega’s Removal

Ortega, a Phoenix native of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, faced backlash after a 2020 TikTok video and a 2015 Instagram Story resurfaced, showing her using a racial slur against Asians to describe her smile while discussing Botox.

In the 2020 post, she wrote, “I can also be a little chky when I laugh/smile so I love getting a mini brow lift,” and in 2015, “Still chkin’ at the top.” These posts, shared on Reddit and TikTok, led to her losing nearly 200,000 Instagram followers in 48 hours.

Fans called for her removal, citing the precedent of Yulissa Escobar, who was ousted after podcast clips surfaced of her using the N-word.

A production insider told The US Sun, “This kind of language is unacceptable… We kicked Yulissa out for racial slurs too."

On Sunday's episode, narrator Iain Stirling announced, “Cierra has left the villa due to personal reasons." Host Ariana Madix responded to a fan’s accusation of silence, saying, “Not silent. You don’t know what you’re talking about."

Cierra Ortega entered as the first female bombshell, making waves with a blindfolded kiss challenge and coupling with Nicolas Vansteenberghe.

What happens to Nicolas Vansteenberghe now?

Following Cierra Ortega’s removal from Love Island USA Season 7, Nicolas 'Nic' Vansteenberghe was left single in the villa. Nic, 24, from Jacksonville, faced a choice to leave or stay, opting to remain, citing unresolved feelings for Olandria Carthen.

Their prior connection, briefly rekindled post-Casa Amor, may deepen, though fans question his sincerity. With Casa Amor looming, Nic’s future hinges on new couplings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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