Vasana Montgomery, a 25-year-old business owner from Beaverton, Oregon, has been removed from the cast of Love Island USA days before the season eight premiere after videos emerged of her using a racial slur. Montgomery issued a public apology on Instagram, stating she was “deeply sorry” and took “full responsibility” for her words.
The videos, which Montgomery said were from her teen years, showed her using the n-word. They resurfaced shortly after the cast announcement on May 28, sparking backlash from fans. The Independent reported that the clips appeared to have been privately owned and not shared online until after the cast list was announced, meaning they were not available during the vetting process.
Montgomery was removed before the first episode aired on June 2. To balance the number of islanders, Gabriel Vasconcelos was initially kept out but later entered as a bombshell at the end of the season premiere.
This marks the second consecutive year that Love Island USA has removed contestants for past use of racial slurs. In 2023, Yulissa Escobar was pulled after a podcast clip resurfaced, and Cierra Ortega left due to derogatory language about Asian people.
