Exclusive Interview
Are ‘Love Island USA’s Iris & Pepe Still Together? Season 7 Stars Talk Relationship Status
Love Island USA‘s Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez may not have made their relationship exclusive on the show, but things are different now that the show has come to an end.
When Swooon caught up with the reality stars three days after Season 7’s finale episode aired, they confirmed that they aren’t planning on seeing other people, including their previous connections that were dumped from the villa.
“We both date the same way,” Garcia-Gonzalez said. “We don’t like to talk to other people when we’re dating, so we want to explore — which is another villa term — but really get to know each other and just each other, and put all our energy and focus on one another and just see what happens.”
Garcia-Gonzalez, who sat close to Kendall during our Zoom interview, recalled the way they took care of each other during the show. They enjoyed each other’s company then, Kendall added, and that hasn’t changed now that they’ve returned to the real world.
“It’s a new experience ’cause we both have experienced the same exact thing, and I think [we’re] just taking it day by day,” she continued. “We’re having so much fun so far. It seems very promising and exciting.”
Still, before they got too far in their real-world relationship, Kendall felt like she owed TJ Palma a conversation. She was coupled up with Palma until he was voted off the island in Episode 27. She found a connection with Garcia-Gonzalez afterward.
On July 15, Kendall met up with Palma because she felt like she hadn’t had a chance to say everything she wanted to. “When you’re mic’d up and there’s people listening to your conversation, you can’t really talk, and you can’t really express to somebody like, ‘These feelings were real, This is how I felt,’” she explained.
“It wasn’t like right away I jumped into Pepe,” she said. “I definitely had my moments where I was very sad, and I grieved over that really upsetting loss, and I did try and leave, and he knows that, but there are more details that I told him. I think that most of our conversation was just me getting that off my chest and explaining that to him and having that closure with him because he’s someone who I really did care about.”
Garcia-Gonzalez dealt with a similar situation when he was coupled up with Hannah Fields, and she was dumped from the villa by her fellow Islanders Episode 18. When we spoke, Garcia-Gonzalez had already texted Fields, but he was hoping to call her later that day.
“I know no matter what we’re always gonna be friends,” he said. “It’s one of those things that we all went through this crazy experience together, so holding grudges would be wild. We are the only ones that know how it truly felt and how it truly was in there.”
While they’re focused on each other, the couple isn’t really thinking about the meeting up with the rest of the Season 7 cast for the upcoming reunion just yet. “I think both of us are kind of like, we don’t really care about the villa right now,” Garcia-Gonzalez said. “I think this is the most important part of getting outside of here is hanging out with her and seeing if going on Love Island was actually worth it and if we actually can find some love out of it.”
