Vasana Montgomery, a 25-year-old from Beaverton, Oregon, who was briefly part of the “Love Island USA” Season 8 cast, was swiftly removed after videos surfaced showing her using a racial slur. She issued a public apology on Wednesday.
On her Instagram story, Montgomery addressed the situation: “I want to talk about a couple of videos from my teenage years that have recently come to light. In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for my actions, and I am deeply sorry. I feel embarrassed and disappointed by my words. I take full responsibility for what I said and understand the pain and upset it has caused people. Since then, I have grown considerably as a person, taking time to educate myself, listen, learn, and better understand the impact of language. This growth does not erase my mistake, and I am not asking anyone to excuse it. I believe in accountability, but I also believe in growth, learning, and becoming better. To anyone I hurt or disappointed, I am truly sorry.”
Montgomery was announced as part of the Season 8 cast for “Love Island USA” by Peacock on May 28. However, by May 30, she had been removed due to the circulation of two videos previously available on private accounts. In one video, she says, “Knock knock, nā-,” while the other shows her rapping along to song lyrics containing the n-word.
This incident marks the second consecutive year that Peacock has removed a contestant from “Love Island USA” for using the n-word. In the previous season, Yulissa Escobar faced a similar dismissal. Later in that same season, Cierra Ortega was also removed for using racial slurs, this time directed at Asian individuals.
