Updated
Updated · KATU · Jun 1
Love Island USA Removes 25-Year-Old Vasana Montgomery Before Season 8 Premiere Over Slur Videos
Updated
Updated · KATU · Jun 1

Love Island USA Removes 25-Year-Old Vasana Montgomery Before Season 8 Premiere Over Slur Videos

3 articles · Updated · KATU · Jun 1

Summary

  • Vasana Montgomery, a 25-year-old Beaverton contestant, was pulled from Love Island USA before the June 2 season 8 premiere after two videos surfaced showing her allegedly using the n-word.
  • Peacock said the clips were not publicly shared until after Montgomery had been announced as one of the show's initial islanders, prompting her removal before the first episode aired.
  • The videos reportedly showed Montgomery singing along to a song containing the slur in one clip and yelling it at an arcade game in another.
  • Season 8 is billed as a real-time dating competition in a tropical villa, where couples compete for a $100,000 prize.
  • The removal makes Love Island USA's casting scrutiny a recurring issue, after the show also dismissed contestants over similar language in the previous season.

Insights

After another racism scandal, can 'Love Island USA' ever fix its flawed casting and vetting process?
Is firing contestants for past slurs just a quick fix for reality TV's much deeper ethical problems?