How Did Love Island USA’s Nic Vansteenberghe React to Cierra Ortega’s Exit Amid Racism Scandal?

Love Island USA viewers were in for a surprise when Cierra Ortega was suddenly no longer in the villa — but how did Nic Vansteenberghe react to his partner’s departure?

During the Sunday, July 6, episode, Nic admitted to the rest of the guys in the villa that he was confused about what would happen next on the Peacock dating show.

“I don’t really know. I think now that my strongest connection has gone, I will figure it out from here,” he explained. “I was not expecting this.”

In a confessional, Nic elaborated on this state of mind. “Right before Cierra had left, my mind was clear,” he noted. “I knew what the future would look like. And now I’m lost.”

Season 7 of Love Island USA introduced Us to Nic on his search for love when episodes began airing daily in June. He had a brief romance with Belle-A Walker before turning his sights to Cierra. Nic and Cierra explored their connection for the next four weeks in the villa until narrator Iain Stirling revealed on Sunday’s episode that she “left the villa due to a personal situation.”

Cierra’s exit came after a resurfaced post from her social media showed her using a racial slur. Following offscreen backlash, Cierra was removed from Fiji — similar to Yulissa Escobar, who was the first Islander removed from the villa earlier this season after clips of her using racial slurs on a podcast circulated online.

With Cierra unable to access her phone, her parents addressed the scandal via her social media.

“This has been one of the most painful weeks of our lives. We’ve seen the posts, the headlines, the hurt and the hate. And while Cierra hasn’t seen any of it yet, we have. And so have the people who love her,” read an Instagram Story on Sunday. “We’re not here to justify or ignore what’s surfaced. We understand why people are upset, and we know accountability matters.”

Cierra’s loved ones requested that Love Island USA viewers pull back on their intense reactions, adding, “What’s happening online right now has gone far beyond [accountability]. The threats. The cruel messages. The attacks on her family, her friends, even her supporters, it’s heartbreaking. It’s uncalled for. No one deserves that kind of hate.”

The statement emphasized that Cierra “hasn’t had the chance to process any of this or speak for herself,” concluding, “But we know our daughter. We know her heart. And when she returns, we believe she’ll face this with honesty, growth and grace.”

Meanwhile, in the villa, Nic ended up rekindling his connection with Olandria Carthen, which fans were rooting for online, but the pair didn’t properly get to explore earlier this season when they were coupled up with other people. Olandria chose Nic at the recoupling on Sunday’s episode, and he reflected on where he hoped they’ll go next.

“It feels familiar. Obviously, my strong connection is no longer in the villa. This time around it is about focusing on each other and giving it 100 percent,” Nic told host Ariana Madix on Sunday. “What I can do as a man is just be there for her and take care of her as best as I can. So I am just focused on that and on making her a mean bacon, egg and cheese in the morning.”

New episodes of Love Island USA will be released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.