Quite the final four couples we had this season of Love Island USA! Love was just barely in the air, LOL. Thank goodness for our champs, Amaya and Bryan, who were low-key the only ones in a solid, exclusive romance. Meanwhile, Huda and Chris finally called it quits after nonstop fighting, and while Nic and Olandria are meant to be (in my expert opinion), they were still working on turning their friendship into something more.
Now, it really doesn’t seem like Iris and Pepe are gonna last… Have you seen the new TMZ clip of Iris and TJ hugging it out the second she got back to Los Angeles? Yeah, this is tea. On July 14, TMZ caught Iris and TJ hanging out as his place after she returned from filming the show, and the vibes seem couple-y, for sure. Where’s Pepe, you ask? Uhhh, nowhere to be seen. We all saw Iris sobbing after TJ was dumped, and rumor has it she even tried to leave the island with him. That context and this new video begs the question: Are Iris and TJ dating post-Love Island? Here’s what we know about their relationship.
Did Iris Choose TJ Over Pepe After Love Island?
#LoveIslandUSA contestants #IrisKendall and #TJPalma look like they may be giving things another shot back home on the mainland … because she’s hanging out with him, and not #PepeGarcia.#Exclusive story at the 🔗 HERE: https://t.co/ggTP2mSA4J pic.twitter.com/jzNsT8vJD0
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 15, 2025
Although Iris made it to the final four with Pepe, she seemed more than happy to reunite with TJ, her previous connection. In the TMZ clip, Iris and TJ can be seen smiling, hugging, chatting, and flirting. According to the outlet, they went on a walk and talked for two hours before heading to his place, where fellow season 7 islander Austin met them. Hmmm. Two hours is a pretty serious chat.
Apparently, Pepe didn’t join the other islanders in L.A. — instead, he went home to Orange County to see his fam, which is valid. I’d love to know how he reacted to this clip of Iris with TJ. Honestly, I would not be shocked if Pepe ended up with his last connection, Hannah. Pepe and Iris definitely seemed attracted to each other (I mean, they’re both insanely hot), but their connections seemed deeper with Hannah and TJ, respectively.
Sadly, Hannah was dumped pretty early on after the girls voted her off. She’d connected with Charlie and then Pepe, who was pissed at the girls for making this decision. A few weeks later, TJ was a victim of a large group dumping, leaving Iris devastated.
TJ was supportive of Iris’ decision to stay in Fiji. “She was super upset and everything,” he recalled to Us Weekly. “She’s like, ‘There’s nothing here for me anymore. I wanna leave. I wanna leave.” He explained that the girls convinced her stay, so she decided to “just feel it out.” At the time, TJ told her, “Hey, listen, this is your experience. That’s just what you’re here for. I don’t want you to regret it. You only have a week left, you might as well continue.” He emphasized that Love Island is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” and he didn’t wanna take that away from her. Major green flag!
We’ll find out more about the status of Iris and TJ, Nicolandria, and everyone else when the Love Island USA season 7 reunion drops on Peacock on August 25! The islanders are set to reunite in NYC to film the special episode, which will be hosted by Ariana Madix and Andy Cohen. I’m already planning a watch party and counting down the days.
