It was shocking that Yulissa Escobar left Love Island USA so quickly, but the way the show handled it was even more shocking.

Reality TV is always ready to give us drama, and Love Island Usa season 7 didn't waste any time doing it. I knew it would be a tumultuous trip from the time the first cast was announced, but I wasn't ready for Yulissa Escobar to leave so quickly and in such a controversial way. Her confident entrance and quick desire to stir the pot promised a spectacular run, but her adventure ended in a way that left me and many other spectators scratching our heads. The show took Yulissa off the air without any explanation, which was almost as shocking as the cause behind it.

I adore reality dating shows, so I anticipate things to change, but the way Love Island USA dealt with Yulissa's leave seemed like a missed chance to be open. It makes us think about how competitors are chosen and how these shows deal with real-life problems that come up on our televisions. We regularly see dramatic breakups and passionate farewells, but Yulissa's disappearance was a sudden, inexplicable absence that left a hole in the story that viewers had to fill in with their own solutions. It's a choice that affects how we see how the show cares about its viewers and how it follows its own rules.

Yulissa Escobar's Controversial Beginning and Quick Exit from the Villa

Her bold entrance set a tone that changed quickly.

Yulissa Escobar, a 27-year-old real estate salesperson from Miami, made a big impression on Love Island USA season 7 right away. She was introduced as a self-assured and driven lady who was ready to establish a deep connection after ending a long-term relationship. What grabbed out about her was her entrepreneurial energy, which she showed by running a mobile bar business. But her actions right away caused a lot of trouble. When host Ariana Madix told Yulissa to kiss the two men she liked, she picked Ace Greene and Jeremiah Brown, who were already in relationships. She kissed Ace, who was with Chelley Bissainthe, and Jeremiah only let her kiss him on the cheek out of respect for Huda Mustafa.

This daring move set the stage for drama right away, and I was definitely ready to see how she would handle the villa after such a provocative start. But her time in Fiji was quite short. In episode 2, just two days into the season, narrator Iain Stirling nonchalantly said, "Yulissa has left the villa." There was no dramatic dumping of the fire pit, no heartfelt goodbyes from other islanders, and no explanation given on air. Ace Greene, her partner, was just left alone. Not having any context on screen was confusing, and I couldn't help but wonder what might have caused such a sudden and unceremonious leave.

The Podcast Clip That Got Her Fired

She Got Caught Up in a Mistake from the Past

Online talk rapidly cleared up the riddle of why Yulissa left so suddenly. Old podcast footage of Yulissa Escobar came back to life on social media not long after the season 7 cast was announced on May 29. While talking about former relationships, she used a racist slur more than once in these tapes. The clips instantly went viral, and fans were so angry that they promised to vote her off the show as soon as voting started.

Because Love Island USA tapes virtually in real time, with only a one- to two-day delay, it looks like the producers decided to get rid of Yulissa quickly once these videos became popular. Even though it wasn't addressed on broadcast, her departure was a direct response to what the public said. It shows how always being watched affects reality TV contestants, since everything they did in the past might come back to haunt them years later. Her first actions in the villa were indeed dramatic, but her past is what really cemented her destiny on the show.

Yulissa's apology on Instagram and other social media

Trying to be responsible and make a good impression on the public

After she was let go, Yulissa Escobar spoke out for the first time on June 6 by making an official apology on Instagram. She said, "First, I want to say I'm sorry for using a word I shouldn't have. Podcast clips from years ago have come back to light, and I want to talk about it directly. She said she used the racist slur "ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it." Yulissa agreed that "intention doesn't excuse impact," knowing how deeply the word hurt people.

She said she had "changed a lot since then," stressing her growth and taking "full ownership of my actions." In a later Instagram post, Yulissa talked about "cancel culture" and shared a picture with the words "Accountable, not Erased." She also talked about "online brutality" and getting death threats. Yulissa has stayed active on TikTok, where she has a lot of followers, even though there has been a lot of controversy. On June 23, she released a video of herself enjoying a boat trip alone in Fiji. She seemed to be happy with her life even though she had been eliminated unexpectedly.

The Bigger Issues That Love Island USA's Handling Brings Up

What does this mean for checking reality TV shows?

Yulissa's short time on Love Island USA and quiet exit made me think about what it means for reality TV as a whole. If there was so much problematic content online, why was she cast in the first place? It's strange that the show's creators haven't been clear about why she was let go. While they certainly acted rapidly to remove themselves from the incident, their silence on TV leaves viewers in the dark and puts the responsibility of explaining things on outside news outlets and social media. It seems like a way to avoid dealing with a big problem instead of facing it head-on.

This event raises important questions about how reality TV candidates are screened. How carefully are these networks looking into the backgrounds of the people they put on national television in a time where social media keeps practically everything? It's hard to believe that a full background check wouldn't find these well-known podcast appearances. Not only does this mistake put the show's image at jeopardy, but it also puts the other participants in an awkward position because they weren't even told why Yulissa left.

In the end, Yulissa Escobar's time on Love Island USA season 7 was short but led to a much bigger topic. Her actions are hers to own, but the show's response, or lack of response, on screen is also worth noting. It reminds us that reality TV is very connected to the real lives and histories of the people who are on it, even though it is edited. Sometimes, those histories need to be acknowledged more directly and honestly by the platforms that display them.

Every day at 9 PM EDT, except Wednesdays, new episodes of Love Island USA season 7 show on Peacock.