⁠“She hasn’t had the chance to process any of this” — Cierra Ortega’s parents issue statement following racial slur controversy amid Love Island exit

Cierra Ortega's parents are opening up about their daughter's contentious exit from Love Island.

Ortega, who left the show after posts of her using anti-Asian slurs to describe her eyes surfaced, shared a statement on her account late on Sunday, July 6, on behalf of “Cierra’s parents".

“As Cierra’s parents, this has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives. We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasn’t seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who love her. We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters.”

The post then touched on the wave of backlash Cierra Ortega has been subjected to online:

“What’s happening online right now has gone far beyond [accountability]. The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it’s heartbreaking. It’s uncalled for. No one deserves that kind of hate. She hasn’t had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself. But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she’ll face this with honesty, growth and grace.”

It concluded with a plea for sympathy:

“For patience. For basic human decency. Not just for her, but for everyone caught in the middle of this. With love, Her family.”

Cierra Ortega's friends issue a statement addressing her actions: Read more

As reported by Us Weekly, during the recent Sunday night episode, Ian Stirling, who serves as the narrator, announced that Cierra Ortega “left the villa due to a personal situation". As a result, her partner, Nic Vansteenberghe, was left “officially single".

Ahead of her exit, the 25-year-old with Mexican and Puerto Rican roots was caught using offensive slurs as she described the cosmetic enhancement procedures she underwent, posts of which rapidly went viral online. Viewers quickly began demanding her exit from the show.

Cierra Ortega's friend, MJ Hedderman, also addressed the controversy via the former's account on IG on Friday, July 4:

“Hi guys, I see your comments concerning someone I love and care about. I want to be clear that I do not condone racism, bigotry or hate in any way shape or form, nor was I aware of the recent screenshots until they were posted. I discovered it at the same time as all of you did.”

NBC has reported that Cierra Ortega was born and raised in Arizona, though she now lives in Los Angeles. Yet another friend of hers, Johnnie Olivia, weighed in on the controversy, Us Weekly has reported.

“I’m sure many of you have noticed that I’ve refrained from talking about Love Island and have stopped publicly supporting my friend on the show. This was after I saw a post involving a racial slur for the first time. I loved supporting her during her time on the show, but once I came across that post, I felt it was necessary to take a step back.”

Following the announcement of her departure on Sunday, Nic reflected on now being single:

“Right before Cierra had left, my mind was clear. I knew what the future would look like, and now I’m lost. I think now that my strongest connection is gone, there’s like — just figure it out from here.”

When asked if he was going to spark another romance with someone else from the villa, he said he "doesn't know".

Trending

Cierra Ortega is now the second person to exit the show following the resurfacing of old posts containing offensive slurs. Just this season, Yulissa Escobar suffered the same fate after a podcast episode of her using the n-word came up, Deadline pointed out. She promptly issued an apology.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback