Love Island USA has cut a contestant from its upcoming season just days before the premiere, after social media posts emerged showing her allegedly using a racial slur. Vasana Montgomery, a 25-year-old business owner from Beaverton, Oregon, has been removed from the season 8 cast following the surfacing of posts in which she allegedly used the N-word. The show confirmed her removal two days after the full cast was publicly announced.
Montgomery had already appeared in promotional material for the Peacock series, describing herself as the “full package” in a preview video. Her removal leaves the season 8 lineup with 11 islanders heading into the premiere.
The Season 8 Cast — Who Is Still In
The confirmed cast for Love Island USA Season 8 is Aniya Harvey from Tyrone, Georgia — daughter of retired NBA player Donnell Harvey — alongside Beatriz Hatz from San Diego, Bryce Dettloff from Los Angeles, Gabriel Vasconcelos from Miami, KC Chandler from Fresno, California, Kenzie Annis from Kennesaw, Georgia, Melanie Moreno from Los Angeles, Sean Reifel from Easton, Pennsylvania, Sincere Rhea from Cape May, New Jersey, Trinity Tatum from Newport News, Virginia, and Zach Georgiou from Birmingham, England — whose brother Charlie appeared on the show last year.
Ariana Madix, the Vanderpump Rules alumna who hosted last season, returns to front the new series. She shared her advice for the incoming islanders ahead of the premiere, keeping the message simple. “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,” she said. “Being authentic and vulnerable and showing yourself is really the best thing you can do in that situation.”
The show’s official Instagram account also posted a message to fans on Wednesday asking for respect and positivity as the new season begins. “Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected,” the statement read. “This is a space for fun, not negativity.”
Season 8 of Love Island USA premieres Tuesday, June 2nd at 9pm ET on Peacock.
Stay informed. Subscribe to the JournalTodays Newsletter for the latest reality TV news, entertainment updates, and celebrity stories delivered straight to your inbox.
