Cierra Ortega‘s friends broke their silence regarding her resurfaced racist post just days before she left Love Island USA.

During the Sunday, July 6, episode of the Peacock series, narrator Iain Stirling revealed that Cierra “left the villa due to a personal situation,” leaving partner Nic Vansteenberghe “officially single.” This came as a surprise to some viewers but the scandal was brewing for days leading up to Cierra’s departure.

Eagle-eyed social media users caught wind of Cierra’s past post, which included an offensive slur, as season 7 was filming. As a result, her social media handler and friend MJ Hedderman took “a step back” amid the drama.

“Hi guys, I see your comments concerning someone I love and care about. I want to be clear that I do not condone racism, bigotry or hate in any way shape or form, nor was I aware of the recent screenshots until they were posted,” read MJ’s Instagram Story from Friday, July 4. “I discovered it at the same time as all of you did.”

Who Runs 'Love Island USA' Stars' Social Media While They're in the Villa?

MJ continued: “I cannot speak for anybody or make any statements besides my own, and decided to take a step back from running her account. I was asked by her family to turn off comments and refrain from speaking on her behalf. This situation has been really difficult, and I’m still processing everything.”

Meanwhile Cierra’s other friend Johnnie Olivia released a similar statement about the controversy.

“I’m sure many of you have noticed that I’ve refrained from talking about Love Island and have stopped publicly supporting my friend on the show. This was after I saw a post involving a racial slur for the first time,” she wrote via Instagram on Friday. “I loved supporting her during her time on the show, but once I came across that post, I felt it was necessary to take a step back.”

Johnnie made it clear she was distancing herself from Cierra, adding, “I do not support or condone that kind of language, never have, never will. Racism in any form is unacceptable. And to be clear unless you are Asian, you do not get to decide whether or not that word is offensive. Anyone who isn’t Asian should not be speaking about the seriousness or impact of that word.”

Multiple cast members from this season faced backlash for resurfaced posts after entering the villa. Islanders are sequestered while filming Love Island USA and in order to keep them focused on finding a match, they have no contact with the outside world until they officially leave. That is when they retrieve their phones and catch up on how the public reacted to their time on the show.

Yulissa Escobar was the first Islander removed from the villa earlier this season. Her departure came after clips of Yulissa using racial slurs on a podcast circulated online.

“I had gotten called to the front and then I met one of the producers and they asked me to take my mic off,” she explained in a July TikTok. “I figured something serious was kind of happening. I honestly got scared. I thought something happened with a family member. They didn’t really tell me anything. They just said that a video resurfaced on the internet and it’s not looking too good. I didn’t really know what video or what I was saying or what I did.”

She continued: “I didn’t get my phone back for another two days. They were waiting for the two episodes that I was in to air. I was literally in my hotel room losing my mind because I didn’t know what was going on. I just knew that there was a video out there. I get it. I said a word that I should have not said. But I wish I would have never said that. It is what it is. I can’t go back in time. I am sorry that I said that word.”

Love Island’s Most Controversial Contestants and Moments Through the Years

Austin Shepard was the other cast member who apologized for his online posts.

“I want to take a moment to address my recent repost that has caused offense to some of you,” he wrote via his Instagram Stories on Saturday, July 5. “As you all know, I have a very dry sense of humor, and I genuinely didn’t think before sharing that content.”

Austin added, “It was never my intention to hurt or upset anyone. I value and respect all individuals and their perspectives.”

Fellow season 7 contestant Jeremiah Brown recently revealed how the Islanders who are still filming usually learn about someone’s surprise exit.

“They personally never told me anything. They never told us in the villa,” he said during the “Speedy Morman” show on Monday, June 30, about Yulissa being gone. “They said she left for personal reasons — I can say that. I found out later after getting my phone back that it was because of whatever happened.”

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

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The family of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt is grieving the loss of a nine-year-old cousin who died amid flooding in Texas over the weekend.

According to FOX 4, Janie Hunt died after Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Kerr County, became flooded due the catastrophic weather event.

Clark’s wife, Tavia Hunt, took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, July 6, to comment on the news. “Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives — including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend’s little girls,” Tavia, 53, wrote.

CNN reported on Sunday that the flash floods have killed more than 82 people, per information received from “state and local officials.”

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The outlet noted that Kerr County officials relayed that crews “are continuing to search for 10 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic” which was “swamped by flood waters.”

That same day, FOX News reported that camp director and co-owner of Camp Mystic, Dick Eastland, also lost his life as he “raced to save the lives of his young campers.”

Per a report published by the New York Post on Sunday, Janie was the great-granddaughter of the late William Herbert Hunt, who was brother to the late Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt. Lamar Hunt was Clark’s father.

The NY Post also reported that this was the first time Janie had attended Camp Mystic and that five girls “along with the camp’s director” are among the flooding’s fatalities.

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Just one hour prior to Tavia’s Instagram Story that addressed Janie, Tavia revealed that her family donated half a million dollars to emergency services and resources aiding flood relief.

“Our hearts are heavy as we witness the devastation and loss of life caused by the floods in Kerr County and Texas Hill County, especially for the young girls and their families, as well as all of those lost and their loved ones,” Tavia wrote. “We hold everyone impacted in our thoughts and prayers. Standing side by side with The Salvation Army’s critical response, we are also donating $500,000 to provide immediate resources for rescue, relief and long term recovery efforts.”

As of Sunday night, six counties have been affected by flash flooding, with 68 deaths recorded in Kerr County, six deaths recorded in Travis County, three deaths recorded in Burnet County, two deaths recorded in both Kendall County and Williamson County, and a single death recorded in Tom Green County.

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The Love Island USA villa faced major changes in the wake of Cierra Ortega’s shocking departure.

During the Sunday, July 6, episode of the dating show — which airs daily with the exception of Wednesdays — Ace Greene, Amaya Espinal, Bryan Arenales, Chelley Bissainthe, Cierra, Clarke Carraway, Chris Seeley, Elan Bibas, Huda Mustafa, Iris Kendall, Pepe Garcia, Nic Vansteenberghe, Olandria Carthen and Taylor Williams were all in for a surprise.

Halfway into the episode, narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that Cierra “left the villa due to a personal situation” and noted that Nic was “officially single.” Luckily the villa had their resident matchmaker Ace to start rooting for Nic and Olandria to re-explore their connection.

That is exactly what happened as the remaining guys were either settled in their couples or vying for Amaya Papaya’s heart. She had a tough decision to make after Ariana Madix arrived for a recoupling with three suitors to choose from: Zak, Elan and Bryan.

Who Runs 'Love Island USA' Stars' Social Media While They're in the Villa?

Week 5 ultimately threw things for a loop since Cierra and Nic were one of the strongest couples. But the exit came amid a resurfaced racist post, with Cierra serving as the third Islander to face backlash since filming kicked off. (The Islanders are halfway through their sixth week in Fiji but for the sake of its timeline, Us Weekly will be tracking the events based on when they air on Peacock.)

As the group settles into their connections one week before the finale, Us is keeping you up to date with live highlights so keep scrolling:

Sunday, July 6

Week 5 started off with a shock when Cierra was no longer in the villa. That caused Nic to question where his future in the villa was going. Nic decided to shoot his shot with Olandria again as they bonded over their familiar connection.

Elsewhere in the episode, Taylor created a date for Clarke to show her how serious he was. There was also Amaya’s search for The One, which just got more interesting after that makeout with Bryan. She was also pulled for chats with Zak and Elan as the guys in the villa finally realized she is America’s Sweetheart.

Love Island’s Most Controversial Contestants and Moments Through the Years

Just as Nic and Olandria had another sweet chat — which included Nic somehow mentioning the Nicolandria ship name that has gone viral on social media — Ariana arrived for this week’s recoupling.

Sunday’s episode ended with Ace and Chelley together again while Clarke chose Taylor. After forming an unexpected bond following both of their matches getting dumped, Iris and Pepe chose to give each other an official chance. Chris, meanwhile, was Huda’s choice while Olandria made all of Us happy by picking Nic.

Amaya was the last to go and she chose Bryan, which meant Elan and Zak were headed home.

© Ben Symons/Peacock

Love Island USA’s Cierra Ortega left the villa amid her offscreen racism scandal.

During the Sunday, July 6, episode of the Peacock series, narrator Iain Stirling confirmed that Cierra “left the villa due to a personal situation” and noted that she left Nic Vansteenberghe “officially single.” Nic subsequently shared a conversation with Ace Greene about how he wasn’t sure what he would do next — just one week before the season ends.

Cierra’s exit comes after a racist post from her social media resurfaced while she was filming in Fiji. Islanders are sequestered while on Love Island USA and in order to keep them focused on finding a match and they have no contact with the outside world until they officially leave, which is when they retrieve their phones and catch up on how the public reacted to their time on the show.

This isn’t the first shocking departure from season 7. Yulissa Escobar was introduced as an OG Islander but by the second episode, she was gone. Iain later acknowledged the shakeup when he noted that Ace was single because Yulissa “has left the villa.”

Who Runs 'Love Island USA' Stars' Social Media While They're in the Villa?

Yulissa’s departure came after clips of her using racial slurs on a podcast circulated online. Earlier this month, Yulissa revealed she was removed from the villa.

“I had gotten called to the front and then I met one of the producers and they asked me to take my mic off,” she explained in a July TikTok. “I figured something serious was kind of happening. I honestly got scared. I thought something happened with a family member. They didn’t really tell me anything. They just said that a video resurfaced on the internet and it’s not looking too good. I didn’t really know what video or what I was saying or what I did.”

She continued: “I didn’t get my phone back for another two days. They were waiting for the two episodes that I was in to air. I was literally in my hotel room losing my mind because I didn’t know what was going on. I just knew that there was a video out there. I get it. I said a word that I should have not said. But I wish I would have never said that. It is what it is. I can’t go back in time. I am sorry that I said that word.”

Love Island’s Most Controversial Contestants and Moments Through the Years

Austin Shepard was another contestant who sparked controversy via social media activity that viewers noticed after he was cast on the show.

“I want to take a moment to address my recent repost that has caused offense to some of you,” Austin wrote via his Instagram Stories on Saturday, July 5. “As you all know, I have a very dry sense of humor, and I genuinely didn’t think before sharing that content.”

He added, “It was never my intention to hurt or upset anyone. I value and respect all individuals and their perspectives.”
New episodes of Love Island USA will be released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.

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Social media influencer and powerlifter Stefi Cohen was reportedly arrested on grounds of domestic violence battery.

According to a report published by TMZ on Sunday, July 6, Cohen, whose full name is Stefanie Cohen Magarici, was arrested on Wednesday, July 2, “on a domestic violence battery charge.” The outlet did not state which city the arrest allegedly took place in.

Us Weekly has reached out to a representative for Cohen for comment.

Amid the report, Cohen’s Instagram account shared a post during the Fourth of July weekend which featured video footage of Cohen instructing fans on pain management methods.

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The reported incident comes after the Miami-based influencer, who boasts more than 1 million Instagram followers and also claims to be a doctor of physical therapy via her Instagram bio, was allegedly arrested in May 2024 on “multiple criminal charges,” per CBS News who reported on the events at the time.

CBS News stated that Cohen, 33, faced charges of “sexual cyberharassment and resisting an arrest after she allegedly hacked her ex-boyfriend’s computer to leak another woman’s nude photos.”

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet at the time, the incident occurred in November 2023 after the ex-boyfriend and a woman turned up to the Miami-Dade Police Department headquarters to allege that Cohen had gotten into her ex’s laptop “after guessing “commonly used passwords” to log into his iCloud account and obtain sexually explicit photos of the woman and sharing them across various group chats.”

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The pair returned to the headquarters in April 2024 to “provide additional information.”

The outlet noted that when authorities “found Cohen” walking along a street one month later, she “didn’t comply and began to walk swiftly away from the arresting officer, saying that she was heading home and going to call her current boyfriend so she could pick up her dog.”

The alleged altercation then became physical, per the outlet’s review of the affidavit, with Cohen failing to follow officer commands and beginning to “physically resist her arrest” which allegedly involved trying “a leg sweep the officer while in handcuffs and even broke the locking mechanism in the police car she was later placed into.”

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Cohen was reportedly released from county jail one day later.

According to Cohen’s Instagram bio, she holds 25 world records in powerlifting. She also appeared on a February episode of the “Movement Optimism” podcast, which described her as “an accomplished physical therapist, strength coach, author and pro boxer.”

Cohen also appears to play a key role in the Revived Method, a subscription-based training system “designed to strengthen your body from the inside out,” per its website.

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Pamela Anderson might be known for her iconic beach-blonde bombshell hair, but she’s the first to admit her strands need serious care to stay full and healthy. Her latest hair-care obsession? The Biolage Full Rescue Restorative Mask — a product she’s not gatekeeping.

“I like the Biolage Full Rescue formula because my hair needs it,” Pamela told InStyle. “I love the mask and the scalp treatment — those are my favorites.” The nourishing mask is designed to make thin hair look immediately fuller while restoring strength and shine.

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According to shoppers, it’s a game-changer for fine hair. “Somehow, it makes my hair feel thicker. I don’t know how but I am grateful because my hair has been thinning,” one reviewer raved.  “It also made my hair feel soft, shiny and healthy. I don’t know what kind of magic this is but I like it.”

Fans also love how it turns limp hair into a healthy, touchable mane without any heaviness. “It makes my thin hair feel so much softer, stronger and fuller without weighing it down. I noticed a big difference after just a few uses — my hair looks healthier, smoother and the split ends are way less noticeable,” said another reviewer.

Whether you’re hoping to channel Pamela’s signature bombshell hair or simply want your strands to look a little thicker and shinier, this might just be the hair mask your routine is missing.

Get the Biolage Full Rescue Restorative Mask for just $54 at Amazon!

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NFL player KaVontae Turpin has reportedly been arrested on weapon and drug charges.

ESPN reported that Turpin, 28, was arrested in Texas on Saturday, July 5, and booked into the Collin County Jail. The Dallas Cowboys player was reportedly charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of less than 2 oz. of marijuana.

Online jail records reviewed by Us Weekly show that Turpin was released from jail on Sunday, July 6. He was reportedly released from custody on $1,500 bail.

After a breakout season in the 2022 USFL spring football league, Turpin was signed by the Cowboys. He received Pro Bowl honors in his first season in the NFL, becoming the first Cowboys player ever to be selected to the Pro Bowl as a designated return specialist.

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Turpin signed a three-year, $18 million contract in March, according to DallasCowboys.com. While sharing a photo of Turpin smiling as he held a pen, the official Cowboys Instagram account celebrated the news at the time. “The fastest player in the NFL is staying in Dallas ,” the caption read.

The NFL player also sent a message to his fans in a video. “KaVontae Turpin here with the Cowboys. I just wanted to say shoutout Cowboy nation, resigning. Here for another three years, man. Hit the ground and get it running,” he said.

Turpin previously played for Texas Christian University, before the school cut ties with him after previous run-ins with the law. In 2019, NBC 5 Dallas-Forth Worth reported that Turpin pleaded guilty to assault charges in an October 2018 incident. According to the outlet, Turpin was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication probation and a 27-week abuse intervention program.

Turpin had previously also been arrested in New Mexico in March 2018 for alleged assault, including a battery charge. He pleaded not guilty to the battery charge, per ESPN. Turpin was later dismissed from Texas Christian University.

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“The football staff was aware there was an incident in New Mexico, but not that charges included an alleged battery,” Texas Christian University said in a statement at the time, per ESPN. “The publicly available information they reviewed at the time only showed a charge related to property damage. We did not know until yesterday that his legal issues were unresolved.”

Years later, Turpin reflected on his past. “I learned I got to learn from my accountability, my consequences,” Turpin said in a 2022 meeting with reporters, per NBC 5 Dallas-Forth Worth. “I’m just looking forward to becoming a greater man now.”

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