After apologizing for utilizing an “extremely offensive” racist slur that resurfaced throughout her time on Love Island USA, Cierra Ortega addressed on-line criticism as soon as once more.
Taking to her Instagram Tales on Sunday, July 13, the truth TV star pointed a message in the direction of one group particularly. “For individuals who want hurt on me, I carry nothing however love in my coronary heart,” the controversial Islander started. “What needs to be a collective alternative to handle derogatory language and the hurt they carry, has as a substitute snowballed into an excuse for cruelty.”
Cierra’s reflection, posted the identical evening Love Island USA season seven got here to an finish, continued, “Nonetheless, I refuse to let distress discover firm right here. I’ll maintain residing with love , presence, and gratitude. Particularly within the painful moments, as a result of they, too, form who we’re.”
The publish was accompanied by a photograph of Cierra, who left the collection in the course of the July 6 episode when narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that she left the villa “as a consequence of a private scenario,” taken from behind that captured her waving her palms within the air.
It continued, “I’ve each perception that each one this power might be alchemized into one thing with actual affect. If even a fraction of it was used to uplift the neighborhood straight impacted — to proceed amplifying Asian voices & their therapeutic — think about how a lot additional we might be as a collective.”
The publish concluded, “Be type to someone right this moment. And tomorrow. And on daily basis after that. Love will at all times go additional.” Cierra additionally left a pink coronary heart emoji, wrapped in a bandage, on the finish of the message.
A 2024 racist publish from Cierra’s social media resurfaced whereas she was filming Love Island USA in Fiji. About 48 hours after her exit from the present, Cierra addressed the publish in a July 9 Instagram video. “Whereas I used to be within the villa, there have been some posts that resurfaced from my previous the place I used to be very naively utilizing an extremely offensive and derogatory time period,” she stated on the time. “I wish to first begin by addressing not simply anybody that I’ve damage or deeply offended — however most significantly — the whole Asian neighborhood. I’m deeply, really, truthfully, so sorry.”
She additionally stated she didn’t know that what she stated was racially offensive. “I had no concept that the phrase held as a lot ache, as a lot hurt and got here with the historical past that it did or I by no means would have used it,” she stated within the video. “I had no unwell intention once I was utilizing it however that’s completely no excuse as a result of intent doesn’t excuse ignorance. It simply doesn’t.”
The video detailed how Cierra acquired a message from a follower who referred to as the slur “extremely hurtful,” alerting her to the affect of her phrases. “At that second, I used to be embarrassed. I — after all — instantly deleted the publish,” she defined. “I used to be apologetic and I educated not solely myself on the true which means and the historical past of the phrase but additionally anybody round me who was by chance a holding area for this slur.”
The apology video continued, “My expertise within the villa was nothing wanting magical. The recollections I made and the individuals I met are ones I’ll cherish endlessly. Whereas I’m heartbroken my journey needed to be minimize brief, I perceive that errors, particularly ones like this, deserve penalties. As soon as once more, to the Asian neighborhood, I’m deeply sorry for my inconsiderate mistake and the hurt it triggered.”
