‘Love Island USA’s’ Cierra Ortega addresses her exit from the show

CNN Cierra Ortega whose modern dramatic exit from the popular reality series Love Island USA caused a stir has broken her silence Viewers have been searching for answers after her exit a week before the dating show s Season finale which the series attributed to a personal situation There was no further explanation but social media posts from and had circulated online that appeared to show Ortega using a racial slur according to reporting by the Daily Mail Ortega posted a video on social media on Wednesday and explained had time to process what happened and made clear that she was not the victim While I was in the villa there were specific posts that resurfaced from my past where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term she noted Before I get into the details I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended but the majority importantly the entire Asian society Ortega announced she was 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 she explained I had no ill intention when I was using it but that s absolutely no excuse because intent doesn t excuse ignorance The -year-old noted hers wasn t an apology video but one of accountability and reiterated that she genuinely didn t know it was a slur Ortega also posted a comment in her Instagram Stories writing 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 custom or locality she wrote She also referenced having been called out for it in explaining she was corrected by a follower after using the slur in an Instagram post which Ortega declared left her feeling embarrassed The Season finale of Love Island USA will air Sunday July on NBC