"A video emerged in which Montgomery used a racial slur... privately owned and not publicly available at the time of Montgomery's vetting."
Season 8 of Love Island USA is scheduled to premiere on Peacock on Tuesday, June 2, 2025. The season was preceded by the removal of one contestant following the resurfacing of a video.
Contestant Removal
Vasana Montgomery, a 25-year-old from Beaverton, Oregon, was dismissed from the show prior to the season premiere. According to Peacock, a video emerged in which Montgomery used a racial slur. The network stated the video was privately owned and not publicly available at the time of Montgomery's vetting, making it inaccessible during the background check.
Montgomery will not appear on the season.
This marks the third consecutive season in which a Love Island USA contestant has been removed due to the use of racial slurs. In June 2025, Yulissa Escobar was removed following the Season 7 premiere for using a racial epithet. Shortly after, Cierra Ortega was removed for using an offensive term against Asians.
Season 8 Cast and Format
The Season 8 cast now includes 11 contestants:
- Aniya Harvey
- Beatriz Hatz
- Bryce Dettloff
- Gabriel Vasconcelos
- KC Chandler
- Kenzie Annis
- Melanie Moreno
- Sean Reifel
- Sincere Rhea
- Trinity Tatum
- Zach Georgiou
Ariana Madix returns as host. The season is filmed in real time in Fiji, with episodes airing one to two days after filming.
Broadcast Schedule
New episodes air daily except Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). The season is expected to run for six weeks, totaling approximately 37 episodes. Aftersun, hosted by Ciara Miller and Tefi Pessoa, airs on Saturdays.
The show streams exclusively on Peacock, with subscriptions starting at $10.99 per month with advertisements.
Production Details
Executive producer Bernie Schaeffer stated that casting is a year-long process. The production team conducts mock filming weeks before production to test logistics. Schaeffer noted that the team aims to keep the show relevant for a U.S. audience and maintains flexibility to adjust planned challenges based on developments in the villa. Returning and new challenges are scheduled, including the potential return of the "What's Your Beef?" milk-passing challenge.
Previous Season Viewership
Season 6 of Love Island USA accumulated 6.58 billion minutes of watch time. Season 7 became Peacock's most-watched original unscripted series, recording 11.4 billion viewing minutes over an 11-week period, according to Nielsen data.