'Love Island' celeb criticizes racial slur in Huda's livestream
"Love Island USA" star Olandria Carthen has spoken out against a racist slur used during a livestream hosted by fellow Season 7 contestant Huda Mustafa and her boyfriend Louis Russell.
During a recent livestream on Russell's Instagram, an unknown caller used a racial slur while Mustafa and Russell were on the call. Video footage shared online shows the pair reacting with surprise before ending the call. Russell is heard saying, "Whoa, hey, hey."
Carthen, who appeared on the same season of the reality show as Mustafa, condemned the language in a statement on her Instagram Story on Wednesday, Oct. 29. She emphasized her stance against racism in any form, stating that such words perpetuate pain through generations.
Carthen expressed her commitment to promoting accountability and awareness, urging for a culture of respect in communication and denouncement of hate speech. She announced plans to donate to organizations supporting the Black community and encouraged others to do the same.
Mustafa responded to the backlash by addressing the incident on her Instagram story the same day. She described the language as offensive and explained that she laughed out of confusion and discomfort. Mustafa clarified that she did not support the use of such language and promptly ended the call upon hearing the slur.
During the Season 7 reunion episode on Aug. 25, Carthen and Chelley Bissainthe discussed their issues with Mustafa. They criticized Mustafa for not taking action against racism and bullying allegations made against them after the season ended. Mustafa expressed feeling hurt by online clips involving Chelley, who later apologized. Carthen felt let down when Mustafa did not address her fans' negative narratives post-season.
The conversation during the reunion highlighted tensions and misunderstandings among the contestants regarding their experiences with hate speech and bullying. Mustafa and Carthen shared differing perspectives on the challenges they faced during and after the show.