Love Island USA has become a mainstay in the pop culture zeitgeist since its premiere in 2019 — and the season 7 reunion is proving to be the most explosive yet.
This season, hosted by Ariana Madix, premiered in June and followed a new group of bathing-suit-clad hopefuls looking for romance. Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales ultimately took home the win with couples Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen, Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia, and Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley — who called it quits during the finale — rounding out the top four.
While more than one pairing found love inside the villa, season 7 was not without its drama. Peacock released a first look at the reunion on August 21, revealing that some of the islanders’ biggest hot topics would be revisited, including an extended look at the iconic Heart Rate Challenge that caused major tension between Huda and Chelley Bissainthe.
Certain couples, meanwhile, looked happier than ever in the teaser. Amaya and Bryan shared that they’ve met each other’s families, but were also on guard when asked about the rumors he was unfaithful after being spotted in a nightclub with girls. “I had a lapse in judgement,” he claimed to cohosts Madix and Andy Cohen. (The couple have since unfollowed each other on Instagram. Iris and Pepe have also unfollowed each other as of publication.)
The trailer, however, was just the tip of the iceberg, as Islanders Ace Greene, Austin Shepard, Hannah Fields, Jeremiah Brown, Taylor Williams, Charlie Georgiou and more are present to hash out the season’s biggest drama.
Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations, plot twists bomb drops of the Love Island USA season 7 reunion:
Amaya and Bryan Address the Cheating Rumors
Amaya and Bryan shared that they’ve been making the long distance relationship between NYC and Boston work, noting that Amaya even met Bryan’s “two bestest friends,” dad and mom. “My mom loved Amaya,” he said. “She shed a tear when she left. I was like, ‘Wow.’”
The pair also addressed the allegations that Bryan was unfaithful after he was photographed pouring shots into girls’ mouths while out on the town one night.
“They’re trying to just throw any hate my way,” Bryan said of internet haters. “And with the cheating video, the hosting, I got paid to be there, I used to bartend back in the day, I had a lapse in judgment, we’ve talked about it.” When Cohen asked what the “lapse in judgement” was, Bryan replied, “Pouring shots around, giving the crowd shots and stuff like that.”
Amaya added, “We definitely spoke about it. I’m also not a woman who would be with someone who doesn’t respect me. So if i’m still with him, it’s because the relationship dynamic is healthy and great.”
Chris, who was at the club with Bryan on the night in question, said: “I didn’t see s***.”
Before moving on, Amaya clarified that she and Bryan “just prioritize our relationship … I’m very confident in our relationship and I feel like you are too.” He agreed, saying, “Yeah, the comfortability is there and we’re just growing.”
The reunion was filmed before Amaya and Bryan unfollowed each other on social media.
Iris and Pepe’s Relationship Status
Although the reunion was filmed before the duo unfollowed each other’s Instagram accounts, the duo said that they are “exclusive” and have had “conversations” about what dating looks like for them going forward.
“I see dating as once you’re exclusive you’re pretty much boyfriend and girlfriend,” Pepe said, while Iris disagreed, claiming “you have to ask someone to be your girlfriend. … I think there’s steps.”
When Ariana asked if she wanted to be his girlfriend, she said, “Yeah.I think we’re going in a good direction.”
“I think that’s the whole point,” Pepe added. “Date as we would have before we went on the show.”
Iris Talks About Meeting Up With TJ
Iris addressed being spotted with her former villa beau TJ Palma in Los Angeles after the show wrapped. “It was something that I was very emotional about when he went home and I think I just wanted to tell him that it wasn’t fake it wasn’t for show these are my genuine feelings toward you and I told him i do have a strong connection with Pepe that’s where my heart is at,” she shared.
TJ, who was walking back stage watching, agreed that there was “closure” for them during their talk and insisted he’s “happy” for Iris and Pepe as a couple. “It’s something we both needed to do for both of us to move on, and it is what it is,” he added.
Pepe, for his part, said that he called Hannah up after filming wrapped and claimed the two exes had a “good” conversation.
Chris and Huda Talk About the Breakup, Where They Stand Now
Andy kicked off his questions to exes Huda and Chris by asking how “awkward” they felt when a singer came out to serenade them with “Moon River” during their on screen breakup during the finale. “I thought it was my sister!” Huda said. “I can’t see that far. … She did her thing. She did great.”
When asked how they felt being together at the reunion, Huda said it was “fine,” while Chris called it “Weird. Very weird on my end. Just weird.”
Huda also addressed claiming in an interview that Chris had a “wandering eye’ in the villa, saying she’s “not angry” about it and that they simply “weren’t a good match.” Chris, however, said he doesn’t “respect how she handled herself” in the interview and was disappointed that she waited until “two or three days” before the reunion to reach out to him.
Huda recalled what she said in their phone call. “You don’t have to like me at all but I’m truly grateful that you were there for me in the villa and if there’s anything that i’ve done I want to personally apologize,” she said, saying that seeing the “hate” he was getting online was what sparked her desire to get in touch with him.
On the possibility of being friends in the future, Chris said, “No. … I’m a forgiving person. I’ll forgive for sure. But friends? Nah.”
Huda Refuses to Share Her Current Relationship Status
Andy and Ariana asked Huda about her current dating status, but Huda claimed Netflix said she’s “not supposed to talk about it” for “legal reasons.” (Huda is rumored to be dating Louis Russell, who appeared on season 3 of The Perfect Match, which airs on Netflix. Love Island USA is a Peacock show.)
“Tell Netflix this was the No. 1 streaming show of the summer,” Andy told Huda before moving on.
Nic and Olandria Share Where They Stand in Their Romance
“There’s been a lot of pressure up to this moment. I know people are expecting us to be labeled by now. And I also see comments like, ‘She better come pregnant and married to the reunion,’ and we’re like, ‘Damn.’ Like, we’ve always been believers in taking time with things and not let outside pressure dictate our relationship. And I mean, we’re going on trips together, we have future dates planned. Knocking a lot of things off the list.”
Olandria said Nic wants to take her to experience all the “crazy things” she’s wanted to do in life, like skydiving. “Whatever she wants, I want to make sure it happens.”
To haters who claim their romance is fake, Nic said, “They hate us because they ain’t us.”
As for their “journey” — a code name for sex in the villa — Olandria confirmed, “It was worth the wait.”
Nic Reveals If He’s Talked to Cierra
“I have not and I don’t plan on it either,” Nic said point blank when asked if he was going to reach out to his villa ex, noting that at first he did want to have a conversation with her but her social media activity led him to believe she was “prioritizing some attention” instead of “fixing” what happened between them, “If there was anything to fix.”
Olandria on Her Breakup With Taylor
Olandria addressed her drama with ex Taylor, saying she didn’t like looking like a woman who was “chasing a man who didn’t find me desirable” when that was “not the case.”
“And I’m thinking, ‘OK he respects my wishes of me being a slowburner, that’s why it hasn’t gotten there yet,” she said, “but getting out of the villa it was like, ‘Oh, OK it was never actually there [between us].”
Taylor said that he did “consider discussing” his lack of feelings for Olandria in the villa, but at the same time, “I did give it a try, to work on it and let it grow.”
Olandria also received an apology from Taylor. “I’m sorry for everything. We grew so close so fast, you were my dog in there … and you are still my dog,” he said.
As for Taylor and Nic, the duo are still great friends and have hung out multiple times since filming ended.
Chelley and Ace Discuss If They Knew Each Other Before Filming
Ace confirmed that he and Chelley — who are exclusive but not “official” — met in New York and thought she was “attractive” and the pair “got to know” each other through “social media exchanges” for awhile before being cast on Love Island USA. When it was pointed out that Ace had been liking and commenting on Chelley’s Instagram posts as far back as 2022, he said he does it to “everybody.” Chelley, however, said that date “has” to be wrong, since they met “last year,” meaning 2024.
They also denied trying to form a “power couple” in the house together, with the rest of the cast agreeing, calling it “fake news.”
As for Chelley and Ace getting voted out before the finale, Olandria said Ace was not “a villain” and Chelley was not a “mean girl.”
Olandria and Chelley Said People Play Into a ‘Hate Train’ Against Them
Olandria claimed Coco Watson made mean comments on a podcast about her relationship with Taylor, but Coco claimed she was not “coming for” Olandria and apologized for it being taken negatively. Still, Olandria and Chelley claimed that Coco was one of the people who were playing into a “hate train” against them, also naming Vanna Einerson, who said she did not mean to speak negatively about either of them, and Huda, who they believed “played into the bully narrative.”
Zak Addresses Going for Amaya After She Was America’s ‘Favorite’
Zak Srakaew denied intentionally approaching Amaya in the villa after finding out how popular she was, but Amaya claimed there was a “shift in energy” from him and said he could be “performative” at times, only wanting to talk to people when it was “time to have a chat.”
Zak, however, stood his ground. “I felt like there was a genuine connection between,” he insisted, also denying that he ever claimed Bryan went after Amaya for the money. “I hope they stay together,” he said via video chat.
Jaden Claims Austin Didn’t ‘Respect’ Her After the Villa
Austin left the villa with Jaden Duggar, but the pair didn’t last long. She claimed during the reunion that she wanted “transparency” in their relationship, which she never got.
“I was happy to leave with you as a couple and i feel like I was blindsided by you in a way,” she alleged. “Because I did send you a message saying if you were planning on dating or hooking up with people, if you could just let me know, but I didn’t care. I was like,You can do whatever you want just give me the respect of letting me know that.’ And you didn’t.”
Jaden said she then went to a house party one night and was “basically bombarded by girls letting me know you had just come back from a date, and I was like, ‘OK, cool, I wish he would have told me first and not the whole house. That’s an example of you making me look dumb.”
Austin, for his part, didn’t remember if he “replied” to her message about being transparent about his actions, and defended his perspective.
“I didn’t say that I was going to see things through [with you],” he claimed. “Dating on the outside, I can still want to get to know you and go on a date with someone else. … I wasn’t, like, not honest. … I’m sorry I wasn’t transparent with you telling you I wanna go on a date.”
Andreina Santos, however, said she was “there” when Jaden sent the message to Austin about transparency, and he “did” reply, allegedly saying, “I actually like you, I want to see things through with you,” and that he was “going to respect her and I don’t think you did.”
Gracyn Felt ‘Played’ by Pepe in the Villa
Gracyn Blackmore said she wished Pepe didn’t wait until the “last second” to let her know that he wasn’t feeling a connection, but Pepe claimed he was “pretty honest” about not feeling a spark.
“But I feel like you did in a way almost prohibit me from having an experience in there,” she replied. “Like, you knew I really wanted to make a connection there. You knew I wanted to find somebody. And at the time, I thought that could be you. You were telling people, ‘I want to put 100 percent into Gracyn,’ so I wanted to put 100 percent into you. So I felt like all of our free time I was trying to spend it with you. So that does prohibit me. So I just want you to know you did hurt me. I do feel played.”
Pepe, meanwhile, said that he was never trying to “blindside” her or “lead [her] on.” The pair ended the discussion by “squashing” the issue.
Charlie on His ‘Brutal’ Exit
Charlie said it was a “rough” first week after he was split from Hannah by America’s vote and then voted out of the villa by his fellow Islanders.
He. noted that he didn’t feel “any negativity” toward Hannah for moving on with Pepe, but it made him “sick” his first week out watching them on dates together.
“I think any normal human when you’re developing feelings for someone, no one wants to see that person go and be intimate with somebody else,” he shared. “That’s just basic human emotions.”
As for if Hannah and Charlie could reconnect them romantically, neither felt there as a future for them.
Huda, Jeremiah and Their ‘Uncooked Pancake’
Jeremiah said it was never about the pancake, but about the fact Huda made sure he knew Taylor cooked another one for her after that made him start “paying attention” to what was happening in their coupling.
Huda agreed there were things that she could have handled “better” that she’s addressing her in her life “now,” adding that she’s working toward being a “better person.”
Jeremiah also insisted that he was not “love bombing” Huda, but agreed he liked her “too much, too fast.”
Jeremiah and Belle-A’s Relationship Status
While Jeremiah and Belle-A Walker were rumored to be dating post-villa, Belle-A said she’s looking to “choose myself first” for once.
“That’s where my. mind is at. It’s time for Bella. Not Bella and somebody else. It’s just me,” she said, saying they were just “besties.”
‘Hurricane Huda’
After watching footage back that featured some of her worst show moments, Huda said she’s done “so much work” on herself that she can “look back and laugh.”
“It’s like, obviously now I would handle things differently. All I can say is that I was unapologetically myself. All of those moments I didn’t hide who I was one bit.”
When asked what she wasn’t “proud of,” she named the “cursing” and “calling people names.” Andy also questioned Huda’s past comments about feeling “bullied,” which Huda said came after she looked back at the show. “There were certain things that were said that hurt my feelings,” she explained. “Maybe bullying could have been a different word. But truly, I’ve moved on from it. It is what it is.”
Olandria noted that she was close to Huda in the villa, but when they left both Olandria and Chelley started getting “hate” from Huda’s “stans” on the internet. She claimed that Huda told her she’d make a post addressing the trolls, but one never came and the negativity started messing with her “mentally,” she she unfollowed Huda on Instagram.
Huda remembered telling Olandria she would address the “hate,” which she then did in an interview, which got aired the day Olandria unfollowed her. Huda apologized, saying she doesn’t condone “racism at all.”
Chelley said she did not want to be friends with Huda, but wants the best for her “from a distance.” Olandria agreed there was a “turning point” for her. Huda, meanwhile, said that everyone is not “meant to be friends” but emphasized that she did not condone hate.
So, What Really Happened During the Heart Rate Challenge?
The initial challenge was a point of contention for Huda and Chelley in the villa, with Chelley claiming Huda went too far and crossed a line while trying to get Ace’s heart to race. While the aired version didn’t show everything, the reunion featured unseen footage that showed Huda making out with Ace, licking up his crotch area and straddling him before turning around to shake her exposed butt in his face, which he grabbed with his hands.
Huda apologized for upsetting anyone, but stressed that “everything was consensual” and there “was no limitations.” Chelley stood her ground on feeling “justified” in her feelings, noting it wasn’t about “consenting” about about “sisterhood.”
“I don’t think I should have to say, ‘Hey, don’t lick the person I’m connected with’s d***,” Chelley pointed out.
Was That Cierra Yelling in the Background After Being Asked to Leave the Villa?
Many fans thought they heard Cierra yelling during Olandria’s confession after she was asked to leave the villa to due to past racist remarks. In reality, it was Iris and Huda scream-singing Selena Gomez’s “Who Says?”
