Calling season 7 of Love Island USA “messy” is the understatement of the century. Try exhausting to the 100th power. Unhinged. Cruel. Concerning. We started out with Huda gaslighting and manipulating Jeremiah for a week. (Pancake Gate scarred me for life.) Then, we had to suffer through Miss Champion Amaya Papaya getting bullied by a bunch of mid m*n who couldn’t handle her sparkling personality. And of course, two contestants, Yulissa and Cierra, were both removed from the show this season because of resurfaced racist social media posts.
Nic and Cierra had just closed off their relationship right before Cierra left the villa, and Nic (famously) wound up re-coupling with Cierra’s bestie, Olandria, for the last few days of the experience. Nic and Olandria pairing up for the second time came after weeks of #NicolandriaNation advocating for this romance and making incredibly convincing romantic edits. Ultimately, they made it to the top two. But how did Cierra react to Nic and Olandria’s relationship and the Nicolandria corner of the internet? I imagine it doesn’t feel amazing watching your connection and your close friend explore a romance. Here’s what Cierra said about the season 7 runners-up.
What Did Cierra Say About Nic And Olandria’s Relationship?
On the day of the finale, Cierra shared a photo dump with pics from her time in the villa. The post includes lots of photos of her with the girlies and a few with Nic as well. “People, moments, and memories I’ll cherish forever,” Cierra wrote in her caption. “This journey didn’t end the way I hoped, but there was real connection, love, and growth in these moments. there’s still so much more growing to do.” She added, “And for that, I’ll always be grateful.”
In a comment on the post, Cierra addressed Nic re-coupling with Olandria. “And for the #nicolandrianation…they are two people I care deeply for and absolutely adore,” she wrote. “I’ve always wanted nothing but happiness for each of them in this experience. that has never & will never change ❤️🩹.”
Season 7 star Zak previously offered insight into how the cast found out about Cierra’s removal. On TikTok, he shared, “When Cierra left, the producers gathered us all together. They said, ‘Unfortunately, Cierra has broken some of the policies and our guidelines and she will no longer be here in the villa. That is the only information we can give you guys.’” He noted that they were given a basic explanation of why she had to leave, but they didn’t get all the details.
Following her exit, Cierra shared a five-minute “accountability” video and a written statement. “I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended, but most importantly, the entire Asian community,” she said in the video. “I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry. I had no idea that the word held as much pain, as much harm, and came with the history that it did or I never would have used it.”
In her written statement, she emphasized: “I do not, and have never, condoned racism or the repression of any cultural group in any form. I would never intentionally use any word, especially a slur, to tear down anyone’s culture or community.”
We’ll have to see if Cierra, Nic, and Olandria remain friends after leaving the villa. (Personally, I do identity as a member of #NicolandriaNation, and I do hope Nic and Olandria get married one day.)