Love Island USA: The Finale

Hearts were touched when Amaya and Bryan were crowned the Season 7 winners of “Love Island USA.”

BY  Anna Altman ★ July 16th, 2025

Photo Credit: Anna Altman

Season 7 of “Love Island USA” just came to a close, and it’s safe to say that most viewers are celebrating the well-deserved, rewarding win of Amaya Papaya. Her win not only marks a major moment for reality TV but also for the Latino community, who praised the series for its “positive media representation.” Amaya’s journey in the villa was far from easy; she was called “too much” by multiple men and was ganged up on for being “too emotional.” Still, she never let this treatment stop her from gliding through the villa with grace — and she never lost hope along the way. 

Before we go into detail on the true impact of Amaya’s win, let’s recap some of the most critical moments from the final episode of the season. Each remaining couple received a final date, faced with romantic settings, heartwarming notes written by America…and a whole lot of love. 

Nic and Olandria’s seemingly perfect final date left audiences unsurprised that they received second place on the series. Nic and Olandria re-enacted the most famous scene from “The Titanic” during a boat ride to their own private island. They later sat down for some conversation and drinks, as they reflected on their time in the villa. Nic told Olandria that “love is something that is a seed. You keep watering it, and watering it, and it grows and grows,” confessing his hope to continue growing their seed outside of the villa. Their story demonstrates that love can blossom, even in moments when it’s least expected. 

Huda and Chris ended their relationship on their final date of the series. The two sat at a candlelit dinner by the water, accompanied by an artist performing a bittersweet rendition of “Moon River.” The night before this date, Huda had been irritated by Chris in bed, who pretended to be asleep and refused to cuddle her. She counted down, giving him three seconds to acknowledge her, or she threatened to be mad at him the next day. He found her reaction to be outrageous and offensive, whereas she found his behavior unkind and somewhat of a dealbreaker. At their final date, the couple exchanged uncomfortable conversation — the negativity of their words clashing with the beauty of the scene. The pair ultimately decided they were better off as friends, yet it didn’t seem so friendly when Chris refused to carry Huda back to land, leaving her to walk through the water alone. 

By the time the four couples joined Ariana at the fireplace for the final time, fans and islanders were on the tips of their toes. When it was announced that Iris and Pepe had received fourth place, audiences were compassionate but not surprised. Their journey had been brief together, and they were utterly drama-free, likely resulting in them receiving less screen time — and therefore less votes by America. In fact, Iris asked Pepe just the day before the finale if he liked her, leaving viewers a bit shocked that they even made it to the finale. Huda and Chris grabbed the third-place award with smiles after delivering heartfelt speeches to each other that seemed to leave them on better terms from the night before. 

The last two couples standing, Nic and Olandria and Amaya and Bryan, both underwent somewhat of a strenuous journey to find each other. Olandria was nearly voted off the series twice, and Nic lost Cierra after just closing things off with her. Nic and Olandria’s second-place award was satisfying to their supporters, who had suspected a romance between the two all along. 

When Amaya and Bryan were announced to be the winners of the series, fireworks not only exploded in the sky above the villa, but in many hearts across America. Amaya remained true to herself throughout the series and left viewers with the message to absolutely never lose sight of yourself for a man — or anyone for that matter. Amaya’s win reminds girls across the country that they are never too much, and that they should never dim their light for others. Amaya loves passionately, and while some men in the villa saw that as a negative, it’s actually one of her greatest qualities. 

After a rocky season of “Love Island USA,” this joyful win capped the series off on a high note. 

Until next summer — and for now, we are so excited to see how each of the final four couples will continue their love stories into the real world.