Vasana Montgomery, the 25-year-old from Beaverton, Ore. who was cast in “Love Island USA” Season 8 and promptly expelled for using the n-word in social media videos, made a public apology on Wednesday.
“I want to address a couple videos from my teen years that have recently resurfaced,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “In those videos, I used a racial slur. There is no excuse for it, and I am deeply sorry. I am embarrassed and disappointed by my words. I take full responsibility for what I said and understand why it has hurt and upset people. Since then, I have grown a lot as a person and taken the time to educate myself, listen, learn, and better understand the impact that language can have. That growth does not erase my mistake, and I am not asking anyone to excuse it. I believe people should be held accountable for their actions, but I also believe in growth, learning, and becoming better. To anyone I hurt or disappointed, I am truly sorry.”
Montgomery was included in Peacock’s announcement of the Season 8 “Love Island USA” cast on May 28. By May 30, she had been removed, following the circulation of two videos that were previously only available on private accounts. “Knock knock, n—-,” she says in one, while the other shows her rapping along to song lyrics that include the n-word.
Montgomery’s dismissal marks the second year in a row Peacock has had to remove a contestant for using the n-word, following Yulissa Escobar in Season 7. Later the same season, Cierra Ortega was also dismissed for using racial slurs, this time against Asian people.