After days of silence and a wave of backlash, Love Island USA contestant Cierra Ortega has issued a public statement addressing her removal from the show. The Mexican-Puerto Rican influencer, who exited the villa on July 6 following the resurfacing of posts where she used an anti-Asian slur, posted a nearly five-minute video on TikTok apologizing to the Asian community and offering context.

Cierra Ortega says she wasn’t aware of the word’s history

Cierra opened the video by acknowledging her delay in responding. “Now that I’ve been back in the US for about 48 hours and I’ve had the chance to process, I now feel like I’m at a space where I can speak about this without being highly emotional,” she said. “Because I am not the victim in this situation.”

According to Ortega, she had used the slur in past posts, including a 2024 Instagram story about getting Botox. As previously reported, she wrote, “I can also be a little [slur] when I smile, so I love getting a mini brow lift to open up my eyes.” Another resurfaced post from 2015 said, “Still chinkin’ even at the top.”

In her video, Cierra clarified she had no idea the term was a slur. “I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry,” she said. “I had no idea that the word held as much pain, as much harm, and came with the history that it did, or I never would’ve used it.”

@cierraortega

♬ original sound – Cierra Ortega

Cierra Ortega says a fan helped educate her in 2024

Cierra recalled learning about the word’s meaning when a fan messaged her about the story in 2024. “I was embarrassed,” she said, adding she “immediately deleted the post.”

“I was apologetic, and I educated not only myself on the true meaning and the history of the word, but also anyone around me who was accidentally holding space for this slur.”

She emphasized that after that conversation, she removed the term from her vocabulary. She also responded to speculation that she had doubled down when corrected. “There are tons of things floating around… fueling this narrative that I sort of doubled down… but that was not the case,” she said. “The lesson was learned. The word was removed. And it was a true learning moment for me.”

The former contestant agrees with Love Island’s decision

Though she described the backlash as difficult, Cierra Ortega said she accepted the network’s decision. “I completely agree with the network’s decision to remove me from the villa,” she said. “This is something that deserved punishment, and the punishment has absolutely been received.”

Cierra also acknowledged the public’s confusion over her actions, saying, “I understand where the hate is coming from.”

Cierra Ortega says her family has received threats

Toward the end of the video, Cierra revealed the toll the backlash has taken on her family. “They have had ICE called on them. My family doesn’t feel safe in their own home. I’m receiving death threats. There’s no need to fight hate with hate. I don’t think that’s justice.”

She added, “I know that no apology could ever be enough for the harm that I’ve caused and the offense that’s taken place… hopefully there are people out there that can use my mistake as a learning moment.”

Moving Forward

In the final seconds of the video, Cierra Ortega said she hopes to grow from this experience. “I know that moving forward, my actions and how I decide to live my life from here on out are gonna speak louder than any apology ever could.”

“All I can ask for is, even if you won’t give me forgiveness, if you can just allow me to grow with grace.”

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