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Love Island USA‘s Cierra Ortega has offered Us some mixed messages when it comes to her unfiltered reaction to ex Nic Vansteenberghe‘s romance with Olandria Carthen.
Season 7 of Love Island USA, which premiered in June 2025, introduced Us to Nic on his search for love. He had a brief romance with Belle-A Walker before turning his sights to Cierra. Nic and Cierra explored their connection for the next four weeks in the villa until narrator Iain Stirling revealed shortly before the finale that she “left the villa due to a personal situation.”
Cierra’s exit came after a resurfaced post from her social media showed her using a racial slur. Following offscreen backlash, Cierra was removed from Fiji — similar to Yulissa Escobar, who was the first Islander to be removed from the villa earlier this season after clips of her using racial slurs on a podcast circulated online.
With Nic single, he found himself forming a connection with Olandria, whom he previously had an attraction to but didn’t explore due to their respective relationships in the villa. Nic left Fiji with Olandira in July 2025, later revealing whether he planned to reach out to Cierra.
“It seemed like I was jumping from Cierra to Olandria, which is just not true. We were taking baby steps because we were both kind of having those strong connections,” he told Us. “It took longer than maybe what was perceived. We definitely took things at our own pace.”
Nic added: “[When it comes to reaching out to Cierra] I’m still processing everything with what’s happening. I need more time to think on it and go from there because it’s been it’s only been what a day?”
Cierra, for her part, issued an apology for her past use of a racist slur. In the weeks since, she has weighed in on where she stands with Nic and Olandria. Keep scrolling for what she said:
Breaking Her Silence
Cierra addressed the racism controversy that resulted in her removal from the villa in July 2025.
After getting her phone back, Cierra subtly weighed in on Nic and Olandria coupling up by “liking” an Instagram post from Nic’s loved ones that featured various fan edits and behind-the-scenes photos of him and Olandria.
“And so it was written in the stars,” read the post’s caption.
Offering Her Support
While reminiscing on her short-lived Love Island USA journey, Cierra shared her highlights from Fiji.
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“People, moments, and memories I’ll cherish forever. This journey didn’t end the way I hoped, but there was real connection, love, and growth in these moments,” she wrote via Instagram while acknowledging that there’s “still so much more growing” for her to do. “And for that, I’ll always be grateful.”
She concluded: “And for the #nicolandria nation … they are two people I care deeply for and absolutely adore. I’ve always wanted nothing but happiness for each of them in this experience. that has never & will never change.”
Throwing Shade
“‘You look happier!’ Thanks, I booked a flight to Mykonos after surviving the villain edit on reality [TV] and I didn’t end up with the guy who never actually liked me and wanted my friend the entire time,” Cierra wrote via TikTok.
English (US) ·