Love Island USA’s Austin Shepard Addresses Racism Allegations

“First, I want to apologize for using a word I had no right in using,” she wrote on Instagram two days after her episodes aired. “In those clips, I used a word I never should’ve used, a racial slur. I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it. I wasn’t trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn’t excuse impact.”

“I’ve changed a lot since then, not just in how I speak, but in how I show up, how I carry myself, and how I honor the experiences of others,” she continued. “Growth means recognizing when you were wrong, even if it’s uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and accountability.”

And while viewers speculated that she was quietly removed from the villa while the other islanders were asleep, the 27-year-old has since set the record straight around exactly what happened.

“Plot twist: I wasn’t dragged out in the dark,” she captioned a July 3 TikTok video. “I walked out in broad daylight head high, lashes on.”