Yulissa Escobar suddenly vanished from the Villa in season 7 of ‘Love Island USA,’ but why? Find out what happened here.
Love Island USA is always drowning in drama, but season 7 started on an even worse note for one former contestant: Yulissa Escobar, the Miami native who initially captured fans’ hearts with her unapologetically sizzling charisma. However, after a few podcast clips surfaced of Yulissa using racial slurs, Peacock subscribers promised to vote the 27-year-old off the island. Once episode 2 premiere, it was revealed that Yulissa was gone. So, what happened to her, and has she made a public statement about the ordeal?
Below, Hollywood Life has gathered all the details we know so far about Yulissa’s sudden exit from Love Island USA.
Who Is Yulissa Escobar From Love Island USA?
Yulissa is a real estate agent from Miami, Florida, and works in hospitality with her mobile bar, Aesthetic Events & Production. When she landed her brief gig on Love Island USA, Yulissa revealed that she was in a nine-year relationship before entering the Villa.
“I was in a nine-year relationship. He left me,” she revealed in a teaser video, before adding, “I’m glad he broke my heart because look at me here. I want my man to nurture me.”
In one promo post for Yulissa, Love Island USA described her as a person “all about kindness, connection, and staying true to who she is.”
What Happened to Yulissa From Love Island?
Peacock has not issued an explanation behind Yulissa’s exit from the show. The only acknowledgement they gave was during episode 2 of season 7 when narrator Iain Stirling said, “Welcome back to Love Island USA. Yulissa has left the villa.”
Yulissa’s departure came almost immediately after TMZ published a report on what Love Island fans had pointed out, which was that she used a racial slur on two separate podcasts. Social media users blew up Yulissa’s Instagram comments after the season 7 premiere aired.
According to TMZ, one of Yulissa’s friends, Maria, defended her on Instagram by commenting, “lol… y’all act like you never said the N word before, stop being so f***ing sensitive.”
Has Yulissa Commented on Her Love Island Exit
Yes, Yulissa addressed her Love Island USA departure in a lengthy Instagram caption on June 7, 2025, which included an apology.
“First, I want to apologize for using a word I had no right in using,” Yulissa wrote. “Podcast clips from years ago have recently resurfaced, and I want to address it directly. 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. And the impact of that word is real. It’s tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use.”
Before she was yanked from the Villa, Yulissa was coupled up with Ace Green despite him already being with Chelley Bissainthe. After he and Yulissa coupled up, Chelley and Austin Shepard got together instead.
