“Love Island USA” contestant Yulissa Escobar apologized on Friday for past use of a racial slur that got her kicked off the Peacock reality dating show.
“I used [the N-word] ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history or pain behind it,” the Miami native wrote on her Instagram.
“I wasn’t trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn’t excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It’s tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use,” she said.
After the Season 7 cast was announced on May 29, recordings from Escobar’s appearances on two separate podcasts resurfaced. In the clips, she used the n-word more than once while discussing previous relationships.
Her exit in Episode 2 was announced in a scene in which the show’s narrator informed viewers, simply, “Yulissa has left the villa.”
Escobar went on to say in her post, “I was speaking casually in conversation, not thinking deeply or critically about what I was saying, but that doesn’t take away from how wrong it was.”
Her post continued, “The truth is, I didn’t know better then, but I do now. I’ve taken the time to reflect, to learn and to grow from that moment.”
She added, “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.”
Escobar signed off with, “To those who are disappointed or offended, I understand and I apologize. I am sorry.”
