Just days before its Season 8 premiere, “Love Island USA” is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Vasana Montgomery, a 25-year-old business owner from Beaverton, Oregon, has been dropped from the Peacock reality dating show after videos surfaced of her allegedly using the N-word — marking the second consecutive year a cast member has been axed for the same offense before the season even gets underway.
What Happened With Vasana Montgomery
Montgomery was announced as part of the Season 8 cast just two days before her removal was confirmed. According to TMZ, two separate videos circulated online showing Montgomery using the racial slur: in one clip, she appears to yell it while her friend plays an arcade game; in another, she is seen rapping along to a song in a car. Production sources told TMZ the videos appear to have been private prior to the cast announcement — which may explain why they didn’t surface during the show’s initial vetting. In her season promo, Montgomery described herself as the “full package,” adding that her friends would “show you the world map” when asked about her type.
A Pattern The Show Can No Longer Ignore
This is not an isolated incident — it is a pattern. “Love Island USA” has now seen multiple cast members removed across back-to-back seasons for racist language, forcing Peacock and production to repeatedly respond in crisis mode. Season 6’s Hannah Smith was arrested outside a Gracie Abrams concert after a racially charged tirade. Then, in Season 7, Yulissa Escobar was removed from the villa just one day after the premiere after podcast clips surfaced of her using the N-word multiple times. A month later, Cierra Ortega was also removed after using a racist term targeting Asian people, claiming she had “no idea” it was a slur. Even after filming wrapped, Season 7 contestants Huda Mustafa and Louis Russell drew backlash in October 2025 for laughing when someone called co-star Olandria Carthen the N-word.
Escobar’s Own Words — And Their Aftermath
After her exit, Yulissa Escobar posted a statement on Instagram acknowledging the gravity of her actions: “I used the N-word ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history or pain behind it. I wasn’t trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn’t excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It’s tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use.” Despite the apology, Escobar later drew further criticism for downplaying the severity of her actions on social media.
The Casting Vetting Question
The back-to-back removals have reignited calls for the show to overhaul its background check process. The videos of Montgomery resurfaced through social media circulation — not through any official pre-screening — suggesting significant gaps in the show’s digital vetting methodology. In an era where a contestant’s entire social media history is effectively public record, the failure to surface these clips before casting announcements points to a systemic problem rather than a one-off oversight.
The Show Must Go On — With 11 Islanders
The new season, still set to premiere June 2 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock, will move forward with 11 cast members: Aniya Harvey, Beatriz Hatz, Bryce Dettloff, Gabriel Vasconcelos, KC Chandler, Kenzie Annis, Melanie Moreno, Sean Reifel, Sincere Rhea, Trinity Tatum, and Zach Georgiou. Returning host Ariana Madix offered this advice to the new cast ahead of the premiere: “It sounds cliché, but be yourself because being yourself is what made the people who make the show fall in love with you, and that’s what’s gonna make the audience fall in love with you.” Whether the show can move past its vetting failures and let its Islanders focus on love remains to be seen — but with Season 8 already down a cast member before the first episode airs, “Love Island USA” enters its new chapter with its casting department once again firmly in the hot seat.
