Vasana Montgomery, the Love Island USA contestant removed from the villa after videos of her using a racial slur resurfaced on social media, has broken her silence following her exit.
The Islander who was set to appear in Season 8 of the Peacock dating series has issued an apology for the language she used.
“I want to address a couple of videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced,” read the statement posted on her Instagram Stories. “In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry. I am embarrassed and disappointed by my words.”
She continued, “I take full responsibility for what I said and understand why it has hurt and upset people. Since then, I have grown a lot as a person and taken the time to educate myself, listen, learn, and better understand the impact that language can have.”
Montgomery noted that although she has educated herself, it does “not erase my mistake, ” adding, “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 truly sorry.”
Vasana Montgomery’s apology
Instagram / vasana_vibes
Montgomery was announced as one of the 12 Islanders entering the villa for Love Island USA Season 8. After the cast announcement, videos of her using the n-word went viral on social media. Peacock noted that the videos surfaced online after the cast reveal and were not public when they conducted a background check before her casting.
Last year, Love Island USA faced a similar situation when a contestant went on a podcast and used racially insensitive language. She was promptly removed from the villa days after the show had already started streaming.
In Montgomery’s case, it was seemingly still early days that she was not featured on the show at all. However, with her exit, production had to make some adjustments to its initial group, and instead of 12 Islanders entering the villa, only 10 were presented during the premiere episode. Gabriel Vasconcelos, who was revealed to be an OG Islander, was then presented as a bombshell to shake things up after the initial couples were set.
