Love Island USA just had a franchise first when Chris Seeley and Huda Mustafa decided to break up during the season 7 finale.
Chris and Huda were one of four couples that made it to the Sunday, July 13, finale — but they were also the one with the most issues. During the season 7 conclusion, Chris and Huda, Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales, Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia and Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen all got the chance to enjoy one more date before host Ariana Madix arrived to tell them who received the most votes.
While every other couple used their outing to solidify their relationship further, Chris and Huda were questioning their connection. They had a fight the night prior when Chris hit Huda in the face with a pillow and didn’t apologize. She then wanted to cuddle with him, but he refused because he wanted to get some sleep.
Their date ended up being a candlelit dinner in the water, which Chris carried Huda to because of her heels (more on that later!). After admitting that they weren’t on the same page, Chris told Huda to make a decision because he allegedly still wanted to make things work. In what couldn’t have been more awkward timing, a singer joined them and performed “Moon River” while Huda got emotional.
After the song was over, Huda told Chris their relationship was too. He took a break from the table, and when he came back, he drew a line in the metaphorical post-breakup sand by telling Huda he wouldn’t be carrying her back, leaving her to walk through the water herself.
The rest of the finale had a few more awkward moments when Chris chose to sleep in Soul Ties instead of in the same bed with Huda. Love Island USA producers still made him and Huda read their declarations of love to each other at the ceremony before they were crowned the third place couple. When the Islanders jumped in the water to celebrate, every couple shared a kiss — except Huda and Chris. Instead, Huda hung onto Nic as he kissed Olandria.
Chris and Huda’s split made franchise history as they were the first couple to call it quits in the finale. Huda had a difficult time on the show after her initial connection with Jeremiah Brown fizzled out. She later paired off with JD Dodard before her short-lived romance with Chris.
Earlier in the season, Huda received such backlash on social media that her ex Noah Sheline, who is also the father of her baby, was forced to speak out.
“She’s maybe not doing a great job idk I don’t watch the show but I don’t like that I’m seeing so much negative s*** on my page or even clips of it about her,” he wrote via Instagram Story in June about the “unhealthy” hate. “It’s not my job to police her or the people in my comments, but I will say what you guys do will affect her mental health and my daughter’s maybe in the future.”
Noah acknowledged that he was “worried” about how Huda will react when she’s out of the villa and has access to the internet again.
“It’s crazy I have to involve myself in this but I don’t want my daughter’s mom to get out and see this and her mental health goes down a hill,” his post continued. “For people who have been respectful and nice and defending her as a mother, thank you! She tries just as much as any other young parent in this world.”
Love Island USA is currently streaming on Peacock.