During the Sunday, July 6, episode of “Love Island USA,” narrator Iain Stirling announced that Cierra Ortega had left the show due to a “personal situation.” Prior to her shocking exit, many fans called for Ortega’s removal after discovering that she used a slur for Chinese people in several social media posts.

"Bachelorette" star Jenn Tran is sharing racism she's experienced to explain why the slur that got Cierra Ortega kicked off "Love Island" is harmful.

In this op-ed, writer Kaila Yu, the author of Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty, argues that Love Island USA season 7’s apparent removal of Cierra Ortega due to her past usage of an anti-Asian slur is exposing how much of the general public is still dismissive of anti-Asian hate.

Belle-A is the only contestant to release such a strong statement condemning Cierra’s actions, but she isn’t the only one who has spoken out. When asked about Cierra’s exit during a TikTok live, Jeremiah Brown said he didn’t “condone no type of racial slurs.”