Vasana Montgomery is breaking her silence after she was removed from Love Island USA ahead of the season eight premiere after videos surfaced of her allegedly using the N-word.
“I want to address a couple videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced,” she wrote on her Instagram Story Wednesday. “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. I take full responsibility for what I said and understand why it has hurt and upset people.
Montgomery continued,” 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. That growth does not erase my mistake, and 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.”
Shortly after it was announced on May 28 that Montgomery was a part of the new slate of Islanders heading to Fiji for the new season of Peacock‘s hit reality dating show, two clips began to emerge on social media that appeared to feature Montgomery using the racial slur. This prompted instant backlash from fans.
The Hollywood Reporter later learned that she had been dropped from season eight before the first episode aired on June 2.
It’s understood that the videos in question appeared to be privately owned and not shared online until after the cast announcement, meaning the clips would not have been accessible for prior vetting by the Love Island USA team.
Montgomery’s departure came after two Islanders were removed from season seven last year for past use of racial slurs. Yulissa Escobar was pulled from the show days after entering the villa after a video resurfaced of her using the N-word, and Cierra Ortega was removed later in the season after she received criticism for a social media post that showed her using a racial slur.
Love Island USA season eight airs Thursdays through Tuesdays on Peacock. Check out THR‘s show coverage here.
