Vasana Montgomery says she’s grown since teen years after ‘Love Island USA’ removed her before Season 8. She apologized for using a racial slur in resurfaced videos and faced immediate online debate about accountability, timing, and whether the response comes
For Vasana Montgomery, the Season 8 dream in Fiji didn’t even make it to first day. Shortly after ‘Love Island USA’ revealed the official cast for Season 8 last Thursday, viewers began circling a different story—videos from her teen years that surfaced online.
By Saturday, May 30, it was revealed that Montgomery’s time on the show had been cut short. ‘Love Island USA’ removed the contestant from the lineup after footage allegedly resurfaced showing her singing a racial slur in a song lyric. The clip was described as a private video that had not previously been shared publicly. NBC News also noted that a second video showing Montgomery using a racial slur surfaced within the past week.
Her exit put her in the same spotlight that earlier affected ‘Love Island USA’ Season 7 contestants Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega, who were also removed after past use of racial slurs resurfaced online.
Montgomery returned to social media on the issue—sharing a statement on her Instagram Story directly addressing the backlash that followed her removal. She apologized for using a racial slur in resurfaced videos from her teen years, took full responsibility, and said she has grown since then.
“I want to address a couple videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced. In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry. I am embarrassed and disappointed by my words. I take full responsibility for what I said and understand why it has hurt and upset people. Since then. I have grown a lot as a person and taken the time to educate myself. listen. learn. and better understand the impact that language can have. That growth does not erase my mistake, and I am not asking anyone to excuse it. I believe people should be held accountable for their actions, but I also believe in growth, learning, and becoming better. To anyone I hurt or disappointed, I am truly sorry.”.
In the comments, the reaction split fast. Some viewers felt the removal was too extreme, arguing that she was singing a song during her teen years. Others said the slur shouldn’t have been used at all and emphasized that young actions still carry consequences.
Instagram user @therissashoww wrote, “I’ve seen this exact statement 1,000 times before 😂😂😂.” Instagram user @madithag added, “they only sorry when they get caught 😂.” Instagram user @prettygirlll__c said, “They caught her before she even got on the villa, that was quick lol.”
Not everyone was locked on punishment. Instagram user @kash.ari26 wrote. “At least she is taking accountability for what she did cause honey if it was anybody else they wouldn’t have did it.” Instagram user @breenoelle_ said. “Yall we gotta start giving some people grace especially when they say it while singing a song .. as a black women I really don’t take offense … we’ve said plently of things in our younger self that wasn’t right. Understand people change.”.
Others focused on the choices behind the apology. Instagram user @rains.song wrote. “Do teenagers not know right from wrong like….” Instagram user @lavishladies_202 responded. “I understand she was a kid right but it is well known as a racial slur. You know it wasn’t right when you used it but now you want to educate yourself about a word you already knew you shouldn’t say. Everybody should get a second chance but stop the BS. You knew it will hurt people but you said it anyways.”.
The skepticism kept coming. Instagram user @luvv.444jas asked, “sorry cuz you said it or sorry cuz it resurfaced ?” Instagram user @lovee_niqua added, “She gone keep saying it. We dgaf ! NEXT. They don’t be sorry, they be sorry they get caught.”
Back in the timeline of ‘Love Island USA,’ Montgomery’s story lands right alongside the earlier removals tied to resurfaced slurs from Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega—an echo that has made the show’s casting decisions feel less like a fresh start and more like a reckoning with what resurffaces.
For Montgomery, the only thing left to do was try to move the conversation toward accountability and learning—while viewers decide whether the apology is enough, or whether the timing makes it land differently.
Vasana Montgomery Love Island USA Season 8 Instagram statement racial slur backlash cast removed Fiji villa Yulissa Escobar Cierra Ortega
So she got booted then suddenly “grown”??
I mean I get apologizing but the timing is sus. Like why wait till after they removed her? Also “private video” still counts, right? Seems like they just scramble PR once it goes viral.
Not gonna lie, I feel like they shouldve just let her explain on the show instead of yanking her instantly. But then again if it’s a racial slur… yeah, hard stop. I’m also confused how a second video pops up “within the past week” like where did it even come from? Whatever, sorry doesn’t fix everything but at least she said it.
This is gonna be one of those cases where everyone argues “accountability” and “growth” like it’s a math problem. I read that Love Island removed her after “singing a slur in a song lyric” which sounds different than like saying it to a person? But then another clip surfaced so… yeah. Seems like they’re always stuck doing damage control for other contestants too, like Season 7 had similar drama, so now it’s just the pattern. Apology probably helps but I don’t know, I already side-eyed it the moment she came on.