The popular dating show Love Island USA has removed a contestant from its upcoming eighth season. Vasana Montgomery was dropped from the cast just days before the season premiere. Old videos showing her using a racial slur appeared online, leading to her removal from the villa. This marks the second year in a row the show has dealt with a similar issue right before a new season starts.
Videos Emerge Right After Cast Announcement
The situation happened very quickly. Peacock announced the full cast for Love Island USA Season 8 on Thursday. But within hours, social media users found and shared two old videos of Montgomery. In one clip, the 25-year-old business owner from Beaverton, Oregon, appears to say the N-word while rapping along to a song. Another video shows her yelling the same slur while a friend plays an arcade game.
The reaction online was immediate. Fans demanded the show take action. By Friday, production confirmed that Montgomery would no longer be part of the season. Reports say the videos were originally on private accounts. This means the production team likely could not see them during their standard background checks before announcing the cast.
Another Scandal For The Reality Series
This is not the first time Love Island USA has faced this problem. During season seven last year, two different contestants were removed for similar reasons. Yulissa Escobar left the villa after clips showed her using racial slurs on a podcast. Later in that same season, Cierra Ortega was also pulled from the show. Old social media posts showed her using an anti-Chinese slur.
The show faced heavy criticism from viewers during those events. The repeated issues are raising questions about how the program checks the backgrounds of people it puts on television.
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What We Know About Vasana Montgomery
Before this controversy, Vasana Montgomery was presented as an exciting new addition to the show. In her cast promo video, she called herself the “full package.” She said her friends would show someone “the world map” to describe her type. Outside of the show, she runs a beauty salon called Vanity Square Studios in Salem, Oregon. Her business won “Best of the Willamette Valley” in 2025. She also has a TikTok account called “Vasanaeats” where she reviews restaurants.
A person who claimed to be Montgomery’s close friend for five years spoke on Instagram after the news broke. Miriam Cintora wrote that she was sad about what she learned.
“I have never known them to be what those videos have shown,” Cintora said. “People can change and grow and I will believe that until I am proven wrong.”
The Show Moves Forward Without Her
Producers have not made a public statement explaining the details of the firing. However, they confirmed that Montgomery will not appear in any episodes. It is still unclear if she had already entered the villa to start filming before being removed.
The show has also not said if a replacement contestant will join the cast to fill the empty spot. The remaining 11 islanders are still set to enter the villa. The cast includes Aniya Harvey, Beatriz Hatz, Bryce Dettloff, Gabriel Vasconcelos, KC Chandler, Kenzie Annis, Melanie Moreno, Sean Reifel, Sincere Rhea, Trinity Tatum, and Zach Georgiou.
Another contestant, Kenzie Annis, also faced some online criticism. A photo surfaced showing her with people wearing MAGA clothing. Her father told TMZ that neither Annis nor their family supports President Donald Trump. However, no action has been taken against her.
Love Island USA Season 8 is scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, June 2, exclusively on Peacock in the United States. For viewers in the UK, the show streams on ITVX. Audiences in Canada, Australia, and India can watch new episodes daily on Prime Video. The show remains one of Peacock’s biggest hits. Season seven recorded 18.4 billion minutes of watch time during its run.
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