Cierra Ortega's Grandma Doesn’t Think She’s Racist After ‘Love Island’ Exit

Cierra Ortega’s grandmother is entering the chat after her granddaughter was removed from Love Island USA amid a racism scandal.

Magdalena Carrillo spoke to TMZ on Thursday, July 10, about her granddaughter’s shocking exit from the hit Peacock series. She told the outlet that Cierra “is not a racist” and neither is the rest of their family — who are immigrants.

While Magdalena didn’t confirm Cierra’s claim that people are calling ICE on the family, she referred to the possible stunt as “appalling.” She also addressed Cierra’s accountability video and said she meant every word” after returning from Fiji.

Cierra broke her silence days after leaving the villa over a “personal situation.”

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“Now that I’ve been back in the U.S. for about 48 hours and I’ve had the chance to process, I now feel like I’m at a space where I can speak about this without being highly emotional because I am not the victim in the situation,” Cierra said in an Instagram video shared on Wednesday, July 9. “While I was in the villa, there were some posts that resurfaced from my past where I was very naively using an incredibly offensive and derogatory term. I want to first start by addressing not just anyone that I have hurt or deeply offended — but most importantly — the entire Asian community. I am deeply, truly, honestly, so sorry.”

Cierra’s sudden departure came after a racist post from her social media resurfaced while she was filming season 7 of Love Island USA.

Ben Symons/Peacock

“I had no idea that the word held as much pain, as much harm and came with the history that it did or I never would have used it. I had no ill intention when I was using it but that’s absolutely no excuse because intent doesn’t excuse ignorance. It just doesn’t,” she noted. “I just need you to know that I am so sorry — but this is not an apology video. This is an accountability video. I do want to hold my hands up and say that I take accountability for using the word, but I do want it to be known that I genuinely had no idea that it was a slur. I had no idea of its meaning.”

After leaving the villa, Cierra called the online backlash “very hard to deal with,” adding, “I can do my best to drown out the noise and pay attention to the truth. But what’s been extremely, extremely difficult is the way people are approaching my family and my loved ones. They have had ICE called on them. My family doesn’t feel safe in their own home. I’m receiving death threats, and there’s no need to fight hate with hate. I don’t think that that’s justice. If you want to know that you are heard and that I’m sorry and that I will move differently, I promise you that’s what will happen.”

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Cierra explained that she was attempting to grow from the experience.

“I know that no apology could ever be enough for the harm that I’ve caused and the offense that’s taken place. I know that moving forward my actions and how I decide to live my life from here on out is going to speak louder than any apology ever could,” she said. “But I do need it to be known that I am sorry and I did mean no harm. Hopefully there are people out there that can use my mistake as a learning moment and to just be better because that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna take today and tomorrow and I’m gonna take strides to be better.”

Cierra concluded: “All I can ask for is even if you won’t give me forgiveness, if you can just allow me to grow with grace. Instead of sitting here and trying to convince you that I am this amazing person who spreads light in the world and celebrates culture and dynamics and backgrounds, one day you will see that from me. I’m deeply sorry again.”