What Happened to Alannah on ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8? Her Exit, Explained
What To Know
- Alannah Keyser was removed from Love Island USA Season 8 shortly after her debut as a Casa Amor bombshell.
- This incident follows the removal of original Season 8 cast member Vasana Montgomery.
Four days after making her Love Island USA Season 8 debut, Alannah Keyser has been removed from the villa.
The news was revealed during her final appearance in Episode 20, which aired on Thursday, June 25. Alannah was introduced during the June 21 episode, coming in as a bombshell during the show’s Casa Amor segment in Episode 17. Alannah, who was intended to test the connections of the pre-existing couples during the show’s signature twist, is a 21-year-old film student at the University of Southern California. She formed a connection with contestant Zach Georgiou.
Hours after her first episode aired, a video surfaced that allegedly showed the Miami native saying a racial slur, leading to fans calling for her removal from the villa. In the clip, which appears to be a screen recording of Alannah’s Snapchat story, she appears to be singing along to a song that includes the n-word. Another fan alleged she used the slur on another occasion, screenshotting a past Instagram comment that Swooon couldn’t immediately locate on her profile.
Alannah isn’t the first person to make an early exit following a racial slur controversy. On May 28, Peacock revealed the names of the first 12 cast members of Season 8, including Oregon native and salon owner Vasana Montgomery. Two days later, the network announced the 25-year-old’s exit before filming started. Two videos of Vasana using the n-word were shared online, leading to viewers calling for her exit.
“I wanted to address a couple of videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced. In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry,” Vasana wrote on her Instagram Story afterward, per NBC News. “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.”
During Season 7, Yulissa Escobar was booted from the show for the same reason as Alannah. Just one day after appearing in the premiere episode, narrator Iain Stirling told viewers that Yulissa had “left the villa.” Podcast clips had circulated of Yulissa saying the n-word, which she later apologized for via Instagram Stories. In a portion of her statement, Yulissa said, “In those clips, I used a word I never should’ve used, a racial slur. I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it. I wasn’t trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn’t excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real.”
Weeks later, another racial slur controversy occurred with Season 7 bombshell Cierra Ortega. During the July 6 episode, Stirling said via voiceover that Cierra had “left the villa due to personal reasons” after spending several weeks on the show. The true reason was shared later: Fans found an old video of Cierra using racist language to describe her eyes. “I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community,” said part of Cierra’s apology statement on social media. “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.”
Love Island USA, Season 8, Every Night Except Wednesdays, 9/8c, Peacock
