Who is Vasana Montgomery and what did she say? Inside the Love Island USA controversy

LOve Island USA flavor 8 had non even out premiered before tilt struck. Mold member Vasana Montgomery was removed from the lineup after videos surfaced online, leading to her removal from the show's cast.Who is Vasana Montgomery?Vasana Montgomery is a 25-year-old business owner from Beaverton in Oregon, according to Entertainment Weekly.She graduated from Spectrum Advanced Esthetics in 2019 as a two-time honor roll student and launched her first business in 2020. She later attended tattoo school before opening Vanity Square Studios, a beauty salon in Salem in Oregon that offers services including permanent makeup, facials, lash extensions, bridal makeup, tattoos and professional lash training, as per Tribune. In 2025, her business won Best of the Willamette Valley.Outside of her business, Montgomery has built an online following through her TikTok account "Vasanaeats," where she reviews restaurants and shares food content.In a promo reel for the upcoming season, Montgomery had described herself as the “full package."Also Read: Off Campus Season 2: All filming location details as Dean and Allie's love story take center stageWhy was she removed from the show?Montgomery was dropped from the Love Island USA Season 8 cast after two videos of her using the N-word resurfaced online, just two days after the season 8 cast was announced.According to TMZ, one video appeared to show Montgomery using the slur while rapping along to a song, while another showed her saying it during a visit to an arcade with a friend.Production sources told TMZ that the videos were privately held and were not publicly available when the show's background checks were carried out. Because of that, they did not appear during the vetting process. Peacock did not provide additional details about the casting shake-up, according to the New York Times. It also remained unclear whether filming for the new season, which takes place at a luxury villa in Fiji, had begun. As the show shoots in real time, with episodes airing roughly two days after they are filmed.Also Read: Tom Hardy-MobLand row: What happened on set? Insider reveals explosive details after firing reportsThis is not the first time Love Island USA has faced thisAccording to Entertainment Weekly, Vasana Montgomery's removal marks the second straight year that a Love Island USA contestant has been removed over the past use of a racial slur.Last year, Season 7 contestant Yulissa Escobar was removed after clips resurfaced showing her using the N-word. Two days later, she apologized on Instagram, writing: “In those clips, I used a word I never should've used, a racial slur. I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it. I wasn't trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn't excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It's tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use.”Entertainment Weekly also reported that another Season 7 contestant, Cierra Ortega, was removed after old social media posts resurfaced in which she appeared to use a racial slur aimed at the Asian community. She also later apologized, saying: “I am deeply, truly, honestly so sorry. I had no idea that the word held as much pain, as much harm, and came with the history that it did, or I never would have used it. I had no ill intention when I was using it, but that's absolutely no excuse because intent doesn't excuse ignorance. It just doesn't.”Additionally, TMZ reported that Season 8 contestant Kenzie Annis also faced criticism after photos surfaced showing her posing with people who appeared to be wearing MAGA clothing. However, her father, Tim, told TMZ that neither his daughter nor the family supports Trump.About Love Island USALove Island USA has become one of the most popular reality dating shows in recent memory. The show's seventh season alone gathered more than 18.4 billion minutes of streaming time on Peacock, according to the New York Times.The format follows a group of contestants who must pair up or risk elimination. Cameras roll on them for nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as they take part in kissing challenges, compatibility tests and other games. Public voting helps determine who stays and who goes, with the winning couple receiving $100,000.Love Island USA Season 8 is scheduled to premiere on Peacock on June 2.