Love Island USA ousts another season 8 contestant over N-word use

Well, it’s happened again – another Love Island USA contestant has been booted, and not for anything remotely romantic or dramatic in the villa. This time, it’s Alannah Keyser who’s out the door, and the reason is pretty serious: undisputed use of a racial slur that’s surfaced online.

Who is Alannah Keyser?

If you don’t recall her (which wouldn’t be all that surprising, given how quickly this all played out), Alannah Keyser is a USC School of Cinematic Arts student who turned up as a so-called bombshell during the notorious Casa Amor twist—basically the producers’ excuse to lob new singles into the mix and stir up trouble just as things are settling down. She walked in on Day 16 of Season 8, and by Day 18, she was history.

How Did This Happen?

Here's where things get both messy and pretty predictable, if you know anything about reality TV and the internet. Some videos popped up on social media showing Keyser using the N-word. These weren't public originally—she'd posted them on a locked-down private account—but, as is the way, they eventually got out once she landed on a national platform. Add to that a reported Snapchat and a comment containing the same slur, and it was only a matter of time before the backlash kicked off.

It wasn’t just one dodgy moment, either; there are apparently multiple instances floating around now. Safe to say, fans clocked it straight away, and the show’s producers couldn’t really look the other way.

How Did Producers Handle It?

This is the bit that always goes under the radar unless you’re paying attention: the show had already filmed a bit ahead, so when the news broke, they had to do a frantic patch job. According to a source speaking to The US Sun, as soon as the controversy landed, showrunners scrambled to edit Keyser out of the pre-recorded episodes as much as humanly possible.

'She couldn’t be removed completely, but her scenes were significantly trimmed down in Tuesday’s episode.'

Still, eagle-eyed viewers spotted her during the first 20 minutes of the Thursday episode, mostly hanging about with partner Zach Georgiou or in scenes where, if we’re honest, she wasn’t doing much at all. Then the narrator, Iain Stirling, popped up to officially confirm she’d 'left Casa Amor.' For those keeping score on Love Island editing wizardry, producers left in only the bare minimum they could get away with.

Not the First Time This Series

Here’s something uncomfortable: Keyser isn’t even the first person to get the axe for using a slur this series. Vasana Montgomery was removed earlier for a similar reason. Not exactly painting the best picture of the vetting process, if those private accounts are only getting checked after the story breaks.

• Alannah Keyser joined Love Island USA Season 8 on Day 16 as a Casa Amor 'bombshell'
• She was removed by Day 18 after past use of the N-word came to light via social media
• Clips originated from a private account, so likely weren’t revealed during initial contestant vetting
• Peacock confirmed her exit after fan backlash
• Producers scrambled to cut her out of already-taped episodes, though she was still briefly visible alongside Zach Georgiou before Iain Stirling announced her departure
• Another contestant, Vasana Montgomery, was also removed recently for a similar incident