Love Island USA: Something’s in the air in Fiji, and It’s Not Saltwater or Sun
Read for the most recent recap of Season 7 of “Love Island USA”
BY Anna Altman ★ July 9th, 2025
design by Sophie Rottenburg
After last summer’s show-stopping season of “Love Island USA,” viewers were convinced that no season would ever reach the same level. And, their apprehension about the new season may have been semi-accurate. Season 7 of “Love Island USA” has been filled with drama — but this time, it’s less about romantic connections and more about racist remarks and borderline bullying in the villa. That said, many of the islanders are beloved by America, and the humorous components of this season have made it at least somewhat more lighthearted. Here’s a recap of some of the most crucial moments of the season that have certainly left viewers shocked.
The catchy introduction to the series had viewers hooked, especially when Huda was given a solo moment that caught everyone’s eye. However, within the first half-hour of the episode, an islander — Yulissa — was already removed from the villa after racist videos resurfaced. The producers took immediate action before Yulissa got too comfortable in the villa. Her exit was abrupt, but viewers — and likely islanders — appreciated that she was held accountable and removed from the show.
While “Love Island" is all about exploring connections, a suddenly serious relationship between Huda and Jeremiah caused a bit of an outburst in the villa. Huda was so horrified by the entrances of new bombshells that she cursed the new girls out and screamed insults at Jeremiah. Her reaction gained her the new online title, “Hurricane Huda,” and even left viewers questioning whether she was mentally stable enough to remain on the show. Some audiences, and even islanders, claimed she was ruining the villa’s vibes and consuming everyone’s energy over her connection with Jeremiah. I was certainly thrown off by Huda’s explosive reaction, but a part of me empathized with her, as she was undoubtedly slightly love-bombed by her boo.
One of the aspects of Season 6 that viewers were so enthralled by was the deep, genuine friendships between the girls. Three of the past islanders, known as the “PPG” (PowerPuff Girls), left a mark on America’s hearts, as they demonstrated true girlhood throughout the entire series.
There is an obvious division between this summer’s islanders, and there have been subtle demonstrations of mean-girl behavior in nearly every episode. Cierra, a beautiful bombshell who coupled up with Nic, initially appeared emotionally mature at first, but her condescending remarks and body language toward Huda soon became apparent. Cierra seemed to team up against Huda with Chelley and Olandria, leaving Huda feeling isolated and vulnerable. Chelley even called Huda “fake" when she kissed Ace, her partner, during a heart rate challenge that was simply for fun. . While Huda may have overreacted about Jeremiah, sometimes girlhood means loving your friends unconditionally, even in their most challenging moments.
America’s favorite girl, Amaya Papaya, had quite a rocky experience during her first few weeks on the series. Multiple men told her she was “too emotional” and “too much,” fracturing her self-esteem and filling her with a desire to find a connection that would love her authentic self. During the challenge where islanders wrote letters to each other, Amaya was completely ganged up on by three men, one of whom she felt her connection was going well with. Instead of advocating for Amaya, the other female islanders sat in silence and watched her sob as she was torn down. The comments went beyond the drama of a challenge; they were intentional, unkind and uncalled for. Thankfully, Amaya was reminded of her charisma when America voted her the most genuine girl on the show.
On another note, America was left aghast when screenshots resurfaced of Cierra using a slur against Asian individuals. At the time these images went around, Cierra was knee-deep in a freshly closed-off relationship with Nic. Two days after their official date, it was announced that Cierra had to leave the villa due to “personal reasons.”Another islander abruptly exiting the villa, especially one who had been present for nearly the whole series, felt unsettling, eerie and disappointing. Her behavior indicated ignorance and unkindness, and she needed to be held accountable.
When Cierra was hurried off the show, I was worried that Nic would be horrifically sad. To my surprise — but seemingly no one else’s — he immediately coupled up with Olandria and confirmed America’s predictions that “Nicolandria” was coming to life. Viewers were convinced that Nic had his eye on Olandria for the entire season — and some went so far to say that Cierra leaving was somewhat of a relief, as he could finally explore his crush. Let’s see how their connection progresses, and if Cierra has any sort of reaction to the couple she claimed she was “never worried about” when they kissed briefly during Casa Amor.
It’s evident that this season of “Love Island USA” has brought more tears and disappointed audiences than Season 6 did. To be honest, though, it isn’t just the islanders causing this weird energy on the show; the excessive hate and negativity being spread online is also certainly making an impact. Hopefully, moving forward, the series provokes less hate and more positive engagement. I can’t wait to see who makes it out of the villa strong.