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Love Island's Cierra Ortega says she got death threats after controversial exit from show, calls it ‘excuse for cruelty’

Cierra Ortega has released a new statement addressing her exit from Love Island USA Season 7 and the growing backlash.

Updated on: Jul 14, 2025, 16:43:57 IST
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Cierra Ortega was removed from Love Island USA Season 7 after resurfaced social media posts revealed her past use of racist language, including an anti-Asian slur. On Sunday, Cierra shared a screenshot of the multiple abusive messages and death threats that she has received in the wake of the backlash, and penned a statement sharing that she carries ‘nothing but love in my heart.’ (Also read: After Cierra Ortega's exit, Love Island fans react to Nic pairing up with Olandria Carthen: ‘Manifestation is real’)

What Cierra shared

Cierra Ortega penned a note on the backlash following her sudden departure from Love Island USA due to resurfaced social media posts with racial slurs. (Ben Symons/Peacock via AP) (AP)
Cierra Ortega penned a note on the backlash following her sudden departure from Love Island USA due to resurfaced social media posts with racial slurs. (Ben Symons/Peacock via AP) (AP)

On her Instagram Stories, Cierra shared screenshots of multiple users sending her abusive messages and death threats. Some of the messages threatened harm to her and her family. In the caption, Cieera simply wrote: “Hey so is this still about accountability or…?”

Cierra via Instagram Stories.

Cierra pens new statement

She added, “Still, I refuse to let misery find company here. I'll keep living with love, presence, and gratitude. Especially in the painful moments, because they, too, shape who we are. I have every belief that all this energy can be alchemized into something with real impact. If even a fraction of it was used to uplift the community directly impacted- to continue amplifying Asian voices and their healing- imagine how much further we could be as a collective.”

The note concluded with the words, “Be kind to someone today. And tomorrow. And every day after that. Love will always go further.”

Cierra Ortega on Love Island

A few days ago. Cierra had shared a public apology to address the backlash through an Instagram video. “I do want to hold my hands up and say that I take accountability for using the word, but I do want it to be known that I genuinely had no idea that it was a slur. I had no idea of its meaning, and it wasn’t until I made the public story post in 2024 when a follower of mine reached out to correct me and let me know that what I was saying was incredibly hurtful,” she stressed.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das

Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupecha

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