Fired ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8 Cast Member Vasana Montgomery Speaks Out: ‘Embarrassed’
Vasana Montgomery is speaking out for the first time since she being fired from Love Island USA Season 8.
The business owner from Beaverton, Oregon, was supposed to be one of the first 12 Islanders entering the villa in Fiji on June 2. But just days ahead of the premiere, she was cut from the cast after social media posts surfaced where she used a racial slur.
On June 3, Vasana, 25, addressed the situation in a post on her Instagram Story.
“I want to address a couple videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced. In those videos, I used a racial slur,” she wrote. “There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry. I am embarrassed and disappointed by my words.”
The salon owner went on to say that she took “full responsibility” for what she said. She added that she understood why people were “hurt and upset.”
Vasana said that in the years since she used the slur, she had “grown a lot” and educated herself on “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 deeply sorry.”
This is not the first time that a Love Island USA cast member has had to leave the show after offensive social media posts resurfaced. In season 7, Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega were both kicked out of the villa after it was discovered that they’d used slurs on social media.
New episodes of Love Island USA Season 8 drop daily (except for Wednesdays) at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
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