Love Island contestant, closes Ortega, breaks silence on the controversy of racial insult

Los Angeles (AP) – The former contestant of “Love Island USA”, closes Ortega, apologized on Wednesday by resurgent publications where he used a racial insult against Asians.

Ortega, who was half of one of the strongest couples of the season, left the town only one week before the end of the popular reality show after the old positions resurfaced that they contained the insult.

Ortega went to the entire Asian community in his Tiktok video of almost five minutes and said it is “deeply, honestly, I’m sorry.”

“This is not an apology video. This is a video of responsibility,” Ortega said.

“I had no idea that the word had so much pain, so much damage, and came with the story it made, or I would never have used it,” Ortega said. “I had no bad intention when I was using it, but that is absolutely no excuse because intention does not excuse ignorance.”

Peacock through Getty Images

Ortega, who has returned to the United States for about 48 hours, said he has fought more with the reaction experienced by his family, who, according to her, does not feel safe in their own home and that the immigration authorities have called them.

“There is no need to combat hatred with hate. I don’t think it’s justice,” Ortega said. “And if you want to know that they listen to you and that I feel it and that I will move differently, I promise you, that is what will happen.”

Ortega de la Villa elimination was announced early in Sunday’s episode. The host Iain Stirling said it had “left” due to a personal situation. “

“I completely agree with the decision of the network to get myself out of the town. I think this is something that deserved punishment and punishment has been absolutely,” Ortega said.

His video did not mention his “Love Island” partner, Nic Vansteenberghe.

He remained in the single from Villa when Ortega left, recessing with his island partner Orlandria Carthen in the same episode. The couple is still in competition from Tuesday’s episode.

Ortega said he didn’t know he was using a racial insult until a follower pointed out after he published an Instagram story in 2024 that he used the term. It was one of the publications that resurfaced during his time in the town.

At this point, Ortega said: “The word was immediately removed from my vocabulary.”

“I know what to advance, my actions and how I decide to live my life from now on, will speak stronger than any apology,” Ortega said.

The departure of Ortega de la Villa followed Yulissa Escobar, who left the town last month in the second episode after her clips using racist language resurfaced online. His departure was not explained in the program either.

A program spokesman declined to comment on Monday.

Escobar, who initially issued an apology for her Instagram history shortly after she left the town, went to Tiktok a day after Ortega left to ask the spectators to stop harassing the contestants.

“I know that what I said was wrong. I know what closed said it was wrong, and I know he hurt the communities,” said Escobar. “All I ask them is instead of threatening her and her family, trying to educate her, her, me.”

Escobar said he was “sincerely scared to return home,” when he recovered his phone after leaving the town and saw the messages he had received.

“I thought, will something happen to me? As, is anyone doing something to me? Because it was a lot to assimilate and even my family was worried,” said Escobar. “It’s not easy to take that when you get all these online threats.”

The show, which awakens the contestants of their phones or access to the outside world, has previously asked fans to avoid harassed contestants. The presenter Ariana Madix asked fans to stop Doxxing and harassed the stars of the program in a recent interview with News.

Couples undergo challenges and encourage them to try their romantic connections as new contestants are introduced.

The islanders are routinely “thrown” from the town throughout the series as a stronger form of couples. The end of Sunday will culminate with a couple that receives the largest number of public votes that are awarded $ 100,000.