Love Island USA’s Alannah Keyser has been axed from the show after resurfaced social media posts showed her allegedly using a racial slur.
Keyser, a 21-year-old film student from Florida, was introduced during the June 21 episode as one of the six new girls brought in for the hit dating show’s famous Casa Amor twist, which was meant to shake up the relationships that had already been established in the first three weeks of season eight.
But just hours after Keyser’s bombshell arrival, a 10-second undated video began circulating on social media that appeared to show her mouthing the N-word as she sang along to lyrics at a Miami party. A screenshot of her allegedly using the N-word in conversations online was also widely shared.
While the origin of the posts remains unclear, the backlash was swift, with viewers demanding her removal. Those requests have now been met.
During the latest episode of the Peacock reality series, Keyser made a brief appearance alongside her connection, Zack Georgiou. However, after an ad break, narrator Iain Stirling announced, “Alannah has left Casa Amor.” No other details about her exit were provided.
Prior to Keyser’s casting, Peacock was unaware of her problematic posts, as they had not been published publicly, according to Deadline. A source told the outlet that her posts would not have been accessible during the vetting process.
The Independent has contacted Peacock for further comment.
Keyser is the second contestant to be removed from the current season of Love Island USA due to resurfaced evidence of them using a racial slur.
Ahead of the season’s June 2 premiere, Vasana Montgomery, who had been cast as one of the season’s initial Islanders, was dropped from the series due to resurfaced videos of her using a racial slur.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Following the season eight premiere, Montgomery, 25, issued a public apology on her Instagram Story, writing: “I want to address a couple videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced. In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry. I am embarrassed and disappointed by my words. I take full responsibility for what I said and understand why it has hurt and upset people.
“Since then, I have grown a lot as a person and taken the time to educate myself, listen, learn, and better understand the impact that language can have,” she concluded. “That growth does not erase my mistake, and I am not asking anyone to excuse it. I believe people should be held accountable for their actions, but I also believe in growth, learning, and becoming better. To anyone I hurt or disappointed, I am truly sorry.”
Keyser and Montgomery are certainly not the first Islanders to be removed from the show over past use of racist language. Last season, Yulissa Escobar and fan favorite Cierra Ortega were removed after past racist remarks resurfaced. Escobar was pulled early from the cast after a clip of her using the N-word on a podcast resurfaced, while Ortega left the show due to backlash over screenshots of her previously using a slur derogatory toward Asian people.
