LOS ANGELES — Cierra Ortega, a former contestant on “Love Island USA,” issued an apology on Wednesday following the revival of past social media posts featuring a racial slur directed at Asian individuals. Ortega, who had been part of a popular couple on the show, exited the villa just days before the season finale due to the fallout from her resurfaced comments.

In a nearly five-minute TikTok video, Ortega addressed the Asian community directly, expressing her remorse. “This isn’t just an apology video; it’s an accountability video,” she emphasized, acknowledging her ignorance regarding the term’s historical significance and the harm it caused.

Ortega revealed that the backlash has profoundly affected her family, who she claims no longer feel secure at home and have faced intimidation, including threats of contact with immigration authorities. While she stressed that “hate doesn’t solve hate,” Ortega committed to learning from her mistakes and promised to act differently in the future.

The show’s producers announced Ortega’s removal during an episode aired on Sunday, with host Iain Stirling citing a “personal situation.” Ortega stated she fully supported this decision, indicating that she felt appropriate consequences had been enforced.

In the wake of her departure, Ortega did not mention her partner on the show, Nic Vansteenberghe, who remained in the villa and recoupled with another contestant, Orlandria Carthen. Ortega learned she used the offensive term only after a follower pointed it out on an Instagram post made in 2024, which also resurfaced during her time on the reality show.

“I immediately removed that word from my vocabulary,” Ortega said, adding that her future actions would exemplify her commitment to change more than any words could.

She follows in the footsteps of fellow islander Yulissa Escobar, who exited earlier in the season after her own problematic comments were uncovered. Escobar first addressed the issue with an apology on social media and, following Ortega’s departure, took to TikTok to advocate against online bullying of contestants.

“Both Cierra and I made mistakes, but instead of threatening us, it would be more constructive to educate us,” Escobar said, admitting she felt fear upon returning home due to online harassment.

“Love Island USA,” which isolates contestants from their phones and the outside world, has previously advocated for an end to cyberbullying. The current season, its seventh, brings together young singles in a remote Fiji villa—where challenges test romantic connections and couples are gradually “dumped” from the show. The season finale will award a couple with the highest public votes a grand prize of $100,000.