‘Love Island USA’ Star Cut in N-Word Scandal Before Season 8 Premiere

Another Love Island USA contestant has been dropped from the reality dating show amid a scandal over the N-word.

Vasana Montgomery, 25, was cut from the show ahead of the season 8 premiere, both TMZ and Decider reported this weekend. Montgomery landed at the center of controversy just days after the new cast was announced on May 28.

Viral videos on TikTok appeared to show the Beaverton, Oregon resident using the racial slur and laughing.

In one clip, a woman resembling Montgomery said the N-word while rapping along to a hip-hop song. In a second clip, the woman was recorded at a video game arcade with a female friend when one of them yelled, “knock knock, n—!”

A Peacock spokesperson told Decider the videos were privately owned and surfaced on social media following the teaser announcing the season 8 cast.

In the promo video, Montgomery described herself as “the full package” and showed off her fit figure in a bikini. The new season of the show begins streaming June 2 on Peacock.

Related: ‘Love Island USA’ Star Cierra Ortega Exits Amid Racism Scandal

This is not the first time a contestant on the American version of the franchise has landed at the center of a scandal over offensive language.

In 2025, Yulissa Escobar left the show’s island villa early in season 7 after fans uncovered clips of her using the N-word during a podcast interview.

Later in the season, Cierra Ortega was sent home when social media users resurfaced an Instagram Story of Ortega using a racial slur about Asian people.

The post included a picture of her sitting in the chair at a doctor’s office and included a caption about getting Botox, as previously reported. Text over the photo included a racial slur while explaining the injections would make her eyes appear less ethnic.

Ortega later issued an apology and said she “had no idea” she was using offensive language.

“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,” she said.