Love Island USA Cast Member Vasana Montgomery Dropped After Old Videos Surface Showing Her Saying N-Word
Peacock confirmed Vasana Montgomery will no longer appear on the show after videos surfaced showing her appearing to use a racial slur. The decision came days before the Season 8 premiere.
Nbc NewsPeacock removed Vasana Montgomery from the Love Island USA Season 8 cast after two videos circulated on social media showing her appearing to say the N-word on camera. One video showed Montgomery appearing to say the N-word while singing a song. The second showed her appearing to say the N-word while yelling at an arcade game.
The videos were not publicly shared until after the cast announcement on Thursday. Peacock confirmed to NBC News that Montgomery will no longer be on the show. The streaming service is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.
Montgomery did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Love Island USA Season 8 cast was unveiled on Thursday. The season premiere was slated to air a few days after the cast announcement.
The Love Island USA villa is located in Viti Levu, Fiji. Each season of Love Island USA follows a group of singles over the course of six weeks as they race to couple up and form romantic connections, or risk getting dumped from the island. Throughout the show, the entry of new contestants creates tension as the producers continue to insert psychological games and plot twists.
U.S. spinoff of the original British show, which is filmed in real time and airs six nights a week, was relatively niche before it exploded in popularity in 2024. Season 7 of Love Island USA became Peacock’s most-watched original season of all time, with more than 18 billion minutes viewed.
Peacock issued a public statement to fans before Season 8’s cast reveal. “The Villa runs on good vibes, and so does this community. We love seeing your reactions, opinions, and debates, but everyone deserves to feel safe and respected,” the statement read.
Montgomery’s quick removal from the villa came after Love Island USA faced pressure last season to take action against two contestants for their past use of racial slurs. At the beginning of Season 7, contestant Yulissa Escobar was abruptly removed from the series after video clips surfaced online that appeared to show her using the N-word while on a podcast.
Later in the season, contestant Cierra Ortega was similarly pulled from the villa after viewers resurfaced old social media posts that showed her use of an anti-Chinese slur.
As of Sunday, the show has not publicly addressed Montgomery’s removal or announced an alternate contestant for the start of Season 8.
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