Cierra's departure follows that of fellow islander Yulissa Escobar, who left the show after videos of her using a racial slur on a podcast in 2021 re-emerged. Yulissa later apologised, saying on Instagram she used the offensive term "ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it".

Cierra Ortega was removed from the Love Island USA villa following backlash over a social media post where she used a racial slur.