Reality television star Amaya Espinal, who won the seventh season of Love Island USA, was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital over the weekend and underwent emergency surgery following a sudden health crisis. The 26-year-old, a licensed cardiac nurse, is now reported to be in a stable condition as she recovers.
Hospital Dash and Emergency Procedure
According to reports from TMZ, Espinal began experiencing what was described as 'severe' abdominal pain. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to her being rushed to a nearby medical facility in Los Angeles. The situation escalated earlier this week when her symptoms worsened, necessitating an immediate surgical procedure.
Espinal remains hospitalised while she recuperates from the operation. She has not been working on set at the time the severe pain struck; she was in Los Angeles filming for Beyond the Villa, a spinoff series featuring stars from her season of the Peacock dating show.
Confirmation and Well-Wishes from Production
The star appeared to tacitly confirm the health scare by posting a photograph on her Instagram this past Wednesday. The image showed a bouquet of flowers positioned on a hospital bedside table. A card visible in the photo was from ITV and the Beyond the Villa production team, expressing wishes for a 'speedy recovery.'
Espinal has not yet publicly disclosed the specific cause of the acute abdominal pain or provided further details about her medical situation. Representatives for the reality personality have been contacted for comment by outlets including The Daily Mail, but no official statement has been released at this time.
From Villa Victory to Post-Split Projects
Amaya Espinal rose to prominence after entering and ultimately winning Love Island USA season seven alongside her then-partner, Bryan Arenales. The couple's victory and romance were short-lived, however, as they announced their split just one month after leaving the villa and claiming the prize money.
In a statement shared in late August, Espinal explained the breakup, stating, 'After leaving the villa, it became very clear we were on two different journeys. Our visions didn't align and relationships are supposed to be a team sport.' She concluded by wishing Arenales well. Subsequent fan speculation about infidelity was fuelled by Espinal's own social media comments suggesting Arenales had moved on quickly.
Despite their personal split, both Espinal and Arenales are currently in Los Angeles to film the second season of Beyond the Villa, documenting the lives of the season seven contestants after their initial television fame.
