Love Island Shakeup

Vasana Montgomery will no longer enter the Love Island USA villa when season 8 premieres on Peacock on Monday, June 2.

Us Weekly has learned that Montgomery, 25, was removed from the premiere lineup after two privately owned social media videos resurfaced online. In the clips, she allegedly used the n-word, including one video where she appeared to sing along to a song containing the slur and another where she allegedly used it while playing an arcade game.

Because the videos were privately held, Us understands they would not have been reviewed by Love Island producers before casting. After the clips leaked following the Thursday, May 28 cast reveal, fans called for Montgomery’s removal from the Peacock dating series.

Montgomery, from Beaverton, Oregon, had been promoted as part of the new cast and described herself as a confident dater in pre-release footage. “I think I am the full package,” she said.

The controversy comes after Love Island USA asked viewers to keep online discussion of the cast respectful and avoid negativity. The U.S. edition, hosted by Ariana Madix and narrated by Iain Stirling, remains one of Peacock’s most visible unscripted titles, making contestant vetting a closely watched issue.

The franchise faced similar scandals in 2025. During season 7, Stirling announced that Yulissa Escobar, 28, had “left the villa” after podcast clips allegedly featuring racial slurs circulated online. Escobar later apologized on Instagram on June 6, 2025.

The next month, Cierra Ortega, 26, exited after old posts resurfaced in which she allegedly used an offensive term for Asian people. Ortega apologized in an Instagram video on July 9, 2025.

The issue also reflects wider scrutiny around the Love Island brand, whose U.K. legacy includes Caroline Flack and current host Maya Jama.

Love Island USA season 8 premieres Monday, June 2, on Peacock.