Love Island USA is heading into its eighth season without one of its original cast members. Just days before the show’s June 2 premiere, Peacock announced it had removed contestant Vasana Montgomery from the lineup after videos surfaced online showing her allegedly using the N-word.
The 25-year-old entrepreneur from Beaverton, Oregon, had been announced as one of the Islanders headed to the Fiji villa. But after the controversial videos began circulating on social media, the streaming platform made the call to pull her from the cast.
According to reports, the videos had been shared privately and weren’t publicly available when the show was casting and vetting its contestants. A Peacock spokesperson said the content only came to light after Montgomery had already been officially revealed as part of Season 8’s lineup.
The last-minute shake-up has reignited conversations about how thoroughly networks vet reality TV hopefuls and the role social media plays in casting decisions. The situation also echoes similar controversies on Love Island USA, where Season 7 contestants Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega were both removed from the franchise after past racist language surfaced.
The show will push forward with its updated cast of Islanders competing for love and the season’s cash prize. Ariana Madix is back as host for the Fiji-based season, which will stream exclusively on Peacock.
The development comes shortly after the show urged viewers on social media to keep discussions respectful and kind, reminding audiences that contestants are real people worthy of consideration.
As reality television faces mounting public scrutiny, the Love Island USA casting controversy underscores the growing challenges networks face when managing contestants’ digital histories in today’s age of constant social media oversight.
About the author
Daya Nanoskar is an Entertainment Writer at Awesome TV and a contributor to AWSM Times. Daya covers film news, streaming releases, celebrity updates and industry news across Hollywood and Bollywood, and has written more than 2,300 stories for Awesome TV. Story tips and corrections: hello@awesometv.com.
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