CIERRA Ortega and Nic Vansteenberghe seemed to have one of the few steady connections on Love Island USA.
But then she suddenly left the show without a word — here’s everything you need to know.
It looked like Cierra Ortega and Nic Vansteenberghe were on the right track[/caption]
But Cierra has been booted off the show[/caption]
This came just a week after Olandria saved Nic from exiting Love Island USA[/caption]
Cierra Ortega had described Nic Vansteenberghe as her strongest connection in the villa.
As the couple grew closer, their bond deepened even further after they become physically intimate.
However, their connection hit a rough patch when Nic remained open to exploring connections with new Islanders, particularly Andreina.
This made Cierra question where she really stood with him.
Nic’s hesitation to fully commit contrasted with Cierra’s feelings, creating uncertainty about their future together, especially with Casa Amor approaching.
The situation took a dramatic turn when Cierra abruptly left the villa after 26 days.
Cierra had been seen sleeping with Nic in bed and getting ready for the day on the episode.
But then narrator Iain Stirling announced: “Cierra has left the villa due to a personal situation, leaving Nic officially single.”
The camera then cut to Nic, who said: “Right before Cierra had left, my mind was clear. I knew what the future would look like and now I’m lost.”
He continued: “Well, I think now that my strongest connection has gone there’s like, you know, I’ll just figure it out from here.”
Pepe Garcia responded: “At the end of the day these are actual feelings and emotions.”
Nic added: “I was not expecting this. I don’t know.”
But he wasn’t single for long — Nic quickly rekindled a connection with Olandria, suggesting he was ready to move on.
Racism controversy
The real reason behind Cierra’s exit was later revealed to be linked to a racism controversy.
Right before Cierra had left, my mind was clear. I knew what the future would look like and now I’m lost
Nic Vansteenberghe
Resurfaced social media posts from 2015 and 2020 allegedly showed Cierra using racist language.
The Instagram Story, reportedly from Cierra’s account, resurfaced on July 2, 2025.
The post read: “Botox isn’t for everyone but I love it for me!!!
“I am incredibly expressive with my face and I catch myself frowning for no reason throughout the day when I’m focusing on something or thinking too hard lol.
“I can also be a little ch**ky when I laugh/smile so I love getting a mini brow lift to open up my eyes and get that snatched look.
“This is not me encouraging but more so sharing.”
The U.S. Sun previously reported on the show’s producers figuring out how to handle the scandal behind-the-scenes.
Nic said he was ‘lost’ after Cierra’s exit[/caption]
Ahead of Cierra exiting the show, a production source told The U.S. Sun: “Cierra is in deep trouble, that is for sure. This kind of word is unacceptable.
“It was a huge disappointment when we saw it. Everyone is very, very bothered and pissed about that.
“We will hold a meeting to decide what we should do… but it doesn’t look great at all for Cierra as a lot of us want to take her out of the show as soon as possible.
“We kicked Yulissa out of the show at the beginning of the season because of racial slurs too.
“This kind of behavior and use of this kind of word is unacceptable, and we condemn all kinds of racism, discrimination and insults towards anyone.”
The source continued: “You can’t use words like this, you can’t use racial slurs and we can’t accept that, that is so bad.
“Everyone is furious that this post exists, that she used that word.
“How is it possible to post something like this and not expect any consequences?
“We ask everyone to be respectful and to not use certain words, but we can’t control what they did in the past.”
