Love Island USA Season 8 Contestant Vasana Montgomery Removed Before Premiere Following Resurfaced Videos

Love Island USA's upcoming eighth season has already seen a casting shake-up before it even aired.

Peacock's reality dating series has removed previously announced contestant Vasana Montgomery from the villa just days before the season premiere. The 25-year-old business owner from Beaverton, Oregon, was dismissed from the show after videos emerged online depicting her using a racial slur.

The footage includes clips of Vasana rapping along to a song while using the n-word, as well as another instance where she yells the same slur to a friend playing an arcade game.

According to sources, the videos that circulated were privately held and only released online after the cast announcement went public, meaning they were not available to producers during the vetting process.

This mirrors an incident from season seven, when contestant Yulissa Escobar was removed from the villa after resurfaced clips showed her using a racial slur during one of the show's early episodes.

Neither Vasana nor Love Island USA have publicly commented on her removal. Her profile photos remain visible on the show's official Instagram account.

A friend of Vasana's, Instagram user Miriam Cintora, shared her reaction to the resurfaced videos on her Instagram story. "It's honestly really sad what I have been made aware of just recently that I don't even know what to say," Cintora wrote.

"I was trying to be a supportive friend to the person I have known for 5 years," she added. "And in all of that time I have never known them to be what those videos have shown. People can change and grow and I will believe that until I am proven wrong."

Cintora also addressed viewers directing their criticism toward her account, stating: "It's also unfair to come and hold ME accountable for SOME ELSES actions. That is not who I am, nor do I condone it. But I will not stand for your comments when you haven't even had one singular experience with either one of us."