Alannah Keyser, a 21-year-old contestant, has been ousted from the current season of Love Island USA after a video resurfaced online showing her using a racial slur. The incident occurred shortly after her introduction during the Casa Amor episodes in the reality dating series. The video, a selfie-style Snapchat clip, emerged on June 21 and depicted Keyser singing along to a song that included the N-word, believed to be from rapper Roddy Ricch’s track ‘The Box.’
Her removal was swiftly addressed by the show’s narrator, Iain Stirling, who announced her departure with a simple statement during Thursday night’s episode. Keyser’s screen time had noticeably decreased following her initial appearance, prompting speculation among fans. This situation echoes past incidents within the franchise, such as Vasana Montgomery’s removal before the Season 8 premiere due to a similar controversy.
In a familiar pattern, Love Island USA has faced issues surrounding racial slurs, with previous seasons also witnessing contestants being ousted for similar reasons. Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega were both removed from Season 7 for separate incidents involving the use of racial slurs. Escobar later issued a public apology on Instagram, acknowledging her mistake and expressing regret for her actions.
Keyser was contacted for comment by CBC News but did not respond before the article’s publication. The show has been grappling with online harassment towards its contestants, emphasizing the importance of treating them as real individuals beyond their on-screen personas.
