Several days after leaving the villa, Love Island USA star Hannah Fields is giving Us new insight into the Islanders — including controversial costar Ace Greene.
“He’s President Ace, he really is,” Hannah, 23, tells Us Weekly in an exclusive interview. “He’s also a Leo — we’re both Leos, you know, big leaders. I feel like he’s really loud and talking about being open, but I feel like he’s the least open in the villa.”
As fans know, Ace was very critical of Jeremiah Brown, accusing his fellow Islander of moving too quickly in his connections. Ace, 22, meanwhile, has stayed open — but really only pursued Chelley Bissainthe.
When asked whether Ace’s actions could backfire, Hannah noted that the cast isn’t aware of potentially being manipulated or swayed by Ace, but it’s clear when you watch the episodes.
“Ultimately, it’s up to what everyone else in the villa sees and I don’t think anyone else really sees that [in real time]. Watching the show back, I definitely noticed it more,” she said. “One thing I noticed [in] there was he was making Nic and Taylor do the most obscure things imaginable.”
She added, “But I think really watching it play out, you’re like, ‘Damn, he really did boss those boys around and kind of bossed everyone around.’ He’s just a big, big character.”
Jeremiah, for his part, agrees that Ace is running the show. “I had a lot of respect for him, and I was like, ‘Oh, this guy’s really funny. That’s going to be my guy.’ But then it was just like, ‘Do this, do this. Don’t do that. Don’t do that. You’re messing up,’” he told People. “So you know, 100 percent, he’s definitely the ringleader of Nic and Taylor, respectfully.”
While Ace has played a major part in the male Islanders’ journeys, Hannah was dumped from the villa by the women, including Chelley, Cierra, Olandria and Huda.
“I was let down by everyone just because I never got an explanation. Even watching the new episodes, there’s not really an explanation other than I had two really good connections. I don’t know what that means, like, ‘I’m sorry?’” she told Us with a laugh. “For a while, I was really upset with Cierra because I really thought that she would fight for me more. I think especially at the fire pit watching her just, like, crying and watching her explanation back saying, ‘Iris and Amaya tried harder.’ It just really shook me because I talked to her about so many things and how I was feeling all the time. So I felt like it’s not what I thought it was. But, right now, I’m just so grateful for the experience, and although it’s cut short, I really did make a lot of good friends and a lot of good connections.”
Hannah felt like an “easy target” after finding two solid connections with Charlie and Pepe.
“And the thing is, we never forced it at all,” she said. “I feel like I tried to have a lot of conversations with Pepe when Charlie was still in the villa, but eyes are on you all the time. It’s kind of not comfortable, especially when everyone’s judging you for exploring. And I did continue to explore — even when I was with Pepe, I talked to everybody who walked in the villa and I did talk to some of the other guys. There just wasn’t a connection there. … I can’t fake flirt with someone. … I did feel a little bit of punishment because both times that my connections ended were not on my own terms.”
Hannah also shared insight into her relationship with Huda, who has had a rocky ride in the villa.
“I think we all had a friendship with Huda. We were all really close with Huda,” she said. “I think there were moments where we’d be like, ‘OK, girl, chill out.’ I think it’s just having that delusional friend that you have to let them talk about how they’re feeling until they’re done talking about it. So I was definitely that person for her and I’ve definitely been the girl that’s like, ‘Oh, my God, this happened to me and I’m gonna keep talking about it until I’m over it.’ I [said], ‘Keep talking about it with me until you’re over it.’”
Hannah called it a “bummer” when Huda pursued Pepe without giving her a heads-up.
“We were all really open about, ‘If you want to explore another connection — especially if it’s your friend’s connection — just be transparent about it.’ We don’t wanna be blindsided and we don’t want that awkwardness,” she recalled. “And it was so long after she had talked to Pepe before she ever came to me. Everyone else had told me, ‘Oh, she was planning on this.’ Pepe had told me about their conversation several times before I heard anything from her.”
While Hannah feels like she “never got the closure” with Huda or “that situation,” she isn’t opposed to being friends with Huda or any of the girls outside of the villa.
“I was still pissed off, up until I left,” she said. “That’s something we’d have to talk about once it’s all said and done, but I’m not completely closed off to having a friendship with her. I’m not completely closed off to having a friendship with anyone. I think I love all of them really dearly.”
New episodes of Love Island USA drop every day — but Wednesday — on Peacock at 9 p.m. ET.
