Love Island USA Season 8 Faces Last-Minute Cast Change
“Love Island USA” is set to return for its eighth season, but there’s been a sudden shift in the cast lineup.
Vasana Montgomery, a 25-year-old from Beaverton, Oregon, has been dropped from the show after a video surfaced showing her using a racial slur. She has confirmed her exit from the upcoming season.
A spokesperson for Peacock mentioned that the controversial videos were privately owned and were not available during the casting review. It seems they only came to light after Montgomery was announced as part of the new lineup.
This isn’t the first time the show has encountered such issues; Season 7 had its fair share of controversies.
In June 2025, Yulissa Escobar exited just one day into the season after facing backlash over a video where she repeatedly used a racial slur. Her departure was confirmed through a brief statement during the second episode of that season.
Although Escobar later issued an apology, she continued to post on social media in a way that seemed to downplay the incident.
In another incident from the previous season, Sierra Ortega was also let go after a video showing her using an offensive slur targeted at Asians resurfaced. The narrator announced that Ortega left due to “personal circumstances,” but that didn’t fully explain the situation.
Shortly after, Ortega addressed the comments in a video, clarifying that her intention was to take responsibility for her word choice, though she claimed ignorance regarding its meaning.
This latest controversy arrived just days after the official “Love Island USA” Instagram account encouraged viewers to welcome the new cast with kindness. They reminded fans to “be kind and positive” as the season approaches.
With Montgomery out, the current cast now features Anya Harvey, Beatrice Hutz, Bryce Detloff, Gabriel Vasconcelos, KC Chandler, Kenzie Annis, Melanie Moreno, Sean Reifel, Cynthia Rea, Trinity Tatum, and Zach Georgiou.
The show, hosted by Ariana Madix, premieres on Monday, June 2nd, at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT. Viewers can expect new episodes daily during the premiere week before the schedule shifts to once per week.
