Love Island USA Dismisses Cast Member for Using N-Word for Second Year

The Story

“Love Island USA” has removed Vasana Montgomery from the upcoming season after videos surfaced online showing her using the n-word, marking the second consecutive year the show has taken such action. The reality dating series returns to Peacock on June 2, just two days after the Season 8 cast announcement. In the circulating videos, Montgomery is seen saying the slur while playing a shooting game at an arcade and later rapping along to a song that includes the word. The videos appear to have been originally posted to private accounts and became publicly visible only after the cast announcement, meaning they were likely not discovered during Peacock’s vetting process. Last year, Yulissa Escobar was removed during the second episode for similar videos, and later Cierra Ortega exited after using a racist term for Asian people, which she said she did not know was a slur. Montgomery, 25, is from Beaverton, Oregon, and described herself in the cast announcement teaser as “the full package” who owns a business and lives alone. “Love Island USA” will air new episodes daily during premiere week and then daily except Wednesdays, with Ariana Madix as host and Iain Stirling as narrator.

Key Facts

• Vasana Montgomery was dismissed from “Love Island USA” after social media videos showed her using the n-word.
• This is the second year in a row an islander has been removed for using the slur; Yulissa Escobar was removed during the second episode of the previous season for similar videos.
• Cierra Ortega also exited last season for using a racist term for Asian people, which she claimed she did not know was a slur.
• Montgomery is seen in two videos: one saying “Knock knock, n—-” while playing what appears to be a shooting game at an arcade, and another rapping along in a car to a song containing the word.
• Both videos were originally posted to private accounts and surfaced publicly after the cast announcement.
• The season returns to Peacock on June 2.
• Montgomery is 25 and from Beaverton, Oregon.
• Ariana Madix is the host; Iain Stirling narrates.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

No open questions identified in the source article.

Misconceptions

No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.

Key Figures

• Vasana Montgomery (dismissed cast member)
• Yulissa Escobar (removed cast member from previous season)
• Cierra Ortega (exited cast member from previous season)
• Ariana Madix (host)
• Iain Stirling (narrator)
• David George, Adam Sher, Jordana Hochman, Bernie Schaeffer, Ben Thursby-Palmer, James Barker, Blake Garrett, Courtney Rosenthal, Sophie Brown, Richard Cowles, Mike Spencer, Tom Gould, Ali Hill, Martin Oxley (executive producers)

Sources: Variety