Islanders
12 Most Shocking ‘Love Island USA’ Post-Villa Breakups, Ranked
Let’s be real, people. The best part of Love Island isn’t always the love — it’s the drama that follows once the cameras stop rolling. While some couples thrive post-villa — Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales, you are the hope of a nation — many burn out in spectacular, headline-worthy fashion.
With JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez’s shocking breakup dominating the news, we couldn’t help but look back at the other dramatic Love Island USA splits that went down after the lights went dark in Fiji and everyone returned home. (Who else is wondering if Love Island: Beyond the Villa‘s producers have picked up the camera and followed this breakup in real time?)
From cheating scandals to Instagram unfollows and reunion show takedowns, these are the most shocking and overall worst Love Island USA breakups that prove sometimes the real season starts after the finale.
Which Love Island USA breakup surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!
12. Shannon St. Clair & Josh Goldstein (Season 3)
They were one of the most beloved couples of Season 3, with their emotional early exit tugging heartstrings across America. Josh left the villa when his sister died, and Shannon supported him every step of the way. The two continued dating in the real world and even traveled together. However, they eventually broke up after nearly a year, citing different priorities and career goals. There was a short-lived reconciliation, but they officially called it quits for good in October 2023. The fact that they no longer follow each other on Instagram? That’s reality TV code for it’s over for real.
11. Ray Gantt & Caro Viehweg (Season 1)
Ray and Caro were an iconic couple from the very first season. Caro caught feelings fast, but Ray seemed all in, too. Post-show, they dated for a while and even appeared on The Amazing Race Season 33. Unfortunately, COVID delayed filming for almost a year, and by the time it resumed, Ray and Caro had broken up in lockdown. Caro later shared that she ended things due to Ray’s lack of commitment. Another pandemic romance bites the dust.
10. Olivia Kaiser & Korey Gandey (Season 3)
After a slow build in the villa, Korey and Olivia shocked everyone by winning Season 3. But their fairytale fizzled fast. They broke up just a few months after leaving the show. What makes this post-villa breakup more intriguing is Olivia’s glow-up: By 2025, she’s expecting a baby with Love Island UK alum Theo Campbell. Reality TV romance is a small (and messy) world.
9. Zeta Morrison and Timmy Pandolfi (Season 4)
America fell in love with “Zimmy” during Season 4, and they even took home the win. Not long after the finale, Zeta confirmed their breakup. She didn’t hold back, either.
“Your person should be the person who gasses you more than the public and your family and everyone. They just want to lift you up all the time and just see you be your best self… I felt like he was like, ‘You get enough of that from everyone else, so you don’t need it from me.’ But that’s who I wanted it from.” she said at the time.
Basically: Timmy wasn’t giving what needed to be given.
8. Kassy Castillo & Leo Dionicio (Season 5)
After the Casa Amor cheating scandal (you know the one), Kassy and Leo somehow made it work… for six months. Ultimately, distance and lingering incompatibility did them in. What earns this breakup a spot on the list? Kassy returned for Season 6. Yes, she walked back into the villa like the main character she is…only to be dumped after three days. Still iconic.
7. Bailey Marshall & Jeremy Hershberg (Season 3)
Bailey and Jeremy left the villa together and seemed sweet on each other. But within weeks, Jeremy ended things, telling Bailey he’d caught feelings for someone else. Immediately? Sir, please. Bailey handled it with grace, saying she couldn’t fault him, but we’re still side-eyeing that timeline.
6. Cely Vazquez & Johnny Middlebrooks (Season 2)
Their Casa Amor fallout was bad enough, but they kept trying post-show… until Cely had enough. The couple moved in together only to have their relationship break down online.
Cely dropped cryptic tweets, unfollowed Johnny, and fans soon learned he had been very active in the DMs. Eventually, she confirmed they had split and hinted at betrayal and dishonesty behind the scenes. Johnny, of course, claimed to be “blindsided.” We weren’t.
5. Emily Salch & Weston Richey (Season 1)
Weston and Emily were villa darlings, but after the show, it all unraveled. Their romance started strong in Season 1, where Weston, the cowboy heartthrob, coupled up with model Emily after a last-minute shakeup in the villa. They left together, and fans were rooting for them to make it work long distance.
Things got messy real fast. Emily accused Weston of using her for clout, saying he was more interested in growing his social media following than their actual relationship. Weston clapped back in a now-deleted post, claiming Emily was never really “his type” and had pressured him into keeping up appearances for fans. The IG Stories were flying for weeks, with cryptic captions, passive aggressive Q&As, and unfollows that made it very clear: There was no love lost here. A true post-villa PR relationship implosion.
4. Kyra Green & Cashel Barnett (Season 1)
They first broke up, reconciled, and then ended it again by February 2020. The textbook breakup excuse was that they were in different places in their lives and having different approaches to life. Cashel also let slip that Kyra potentially blocked his number — oh, she is standing on business! Then, in 2025, Cashel faced serious domestic violence charges against the mother of his child.
3. Kaylor Martin & Aaron Evans (Season 6)
Disappointed but not surprised pretty much sums this one up. The world collectively exhaled when Kaylor and Aaron broke up, and we all urged our girlie to find someone who could treat her right.
Their relationship imploded after details emerged about Aaron kissing another girl at Casa Amor. She called out his lies during the reunion. “Why do you keep f**king lying to me? And quit love-bombing me,” she said. “I cannot believe I wasted my entire f**king summer on you, Aaron. … I never want to speak to you ever again.”
2. Nicole Jacky & Kendall Washington (Season 6)
Despite finishing strong in the show, rumors involving cheating and shady DMs circulated post-show. The reunion only made things worse. They split immediately after, with Kendall admitting the relationship had turned “unhealthy,” and Nicole confirmed Kendall had been the one to end it — over the phone! Many think the NSFW video was at the root of it, even though Kendall initially lied about when it had been taken. Ruh roh.
Nicole called it out during the reunion: “Obviously, the video is not OK. Nobody deserves that. Everybody in this room can agree, it’s f**ked up,” Nicole said. “However, I think if you say you love somebody, in the moment, when you’re telling me about something you need to be honest. Instead of saying it’s from years ago to someone you trusted — an ex-girlfriend — and then I find out two days later from JaNa [Craig] that it was in the hotel room before you go on the show to someone on a dating app is crazy.”
1. JaNa Craig & Kenny Rodriguez (Season 6)
We were rooting for you! We were all rooting for you! Let’s not forget how well it all started, like when JaNa delivered her final speech entirely in Spanish, which blew Kenny away. The pair went to Japan together, and all seemed well…all too well.
They called it quits in late July 2025, with JaNa unfollowing Kenny and publicly accusing him of manipulation and dishonest behavior. The breakup spiraled into allegations of racism and clout-chasing, with several castmates rallying behind JaNa. Theories have been running around, and all JaNa’s said is: “None have matched up to how terrible, disgusting and disappointing it is.” Girl, what did he do?!
Kenny tried to post a wholesome Instagram about how grateful he is for their time together, but JaNa was having none of that. A few minutes later, she replied on her Story, writing: “Stfu you manipulative liar. You not taking accountability and telling people the type of person you really are is insane to me!! My first statement was me being nice. Do not piss me off.”
JaNa’s friend, Charmane Smith, also shared a message that aligns with the breakup theory. “My advice for women in relationships: If you have access, go thru your man’s phone TODAY,” Charmane wrote in an Instagram Story. She advised, “Search keywords like ‘I don’t like black women, I thought I could get more money from this, I’m faking this relationship, going on the show would be for clout, I can’t wait to be done w this so I can fuck hella b*tches.’”
Safe to say, this breakup is the MESSIEST out there.
