Love Island USA is dealing with yet another racial slur controversy – this time involving Huda Mustafa!
The reality star was livestreaming with her boyfriend, Louis Russell, when someone called in and called her co-star Olandria Carthen the N-word. Whoa. But how did Huda and Louis react? It’s so bad, you guys! They both looked taken aback before they burst out LAUGHING! WTF! After collecting themselves a few seconds later, Louis repeated, “Hey,” a few times in a disappointed tone. Huda then asked:
“Yo, what the f**k? What did they say? They said a bad word.”
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Louis then added:
“They said a terrible word.”
The incident quickly went viral on social media, leading Huda to go to Instagram Stories to share her side of the story on Tuesday. The television personality insisted she and Louis “did not hear what was said in that no caller id call on live” and “hung up immediately” after hearing the racial slur. She continued:
“i don’t condone anything of the sort. whoever called purposefully continuously called while we were live. i really don’t condone racism which is why it was immediately hung up. once again we did not hear it very well considering it sounded like a child, only the last slur. I just wanted to address this before it blows out of proportion.”
As for the laughter? Huda said she and Louis laughed because it was “awkward and inappropriate,” adding that “whoever said it is in the wrong.” Read her initial statement (below):
Yeah, this post is not it. The dismissive reaction and lack of apology for laughing at offensive word being hurled at your castmate is not OK. Racism should never, ever be taken lightly. What happened here is so disrespectful.
Olandria wasn’t having it, either! She took to IG Stories on Wednesday to slam Huda for “laughing” at the slur, writing:
“I do not condone racism of any kind, nor do I entertain it. That kind of language is never acceptable. Not in anger, not as a joke, not ever. Words like that carry generations of pain, and pretending otherwise only keeps the cycle going. Defending it, laughing about it, or making excuses is even worse. I will not let this moment derail my purpose of uplifting my community. I’m standing firm in who I am and using this as an opportunity to call for real accountability and awareness. We all have a role in building a culture where speaking to one another with respect is the standard, and where speaking against hate speech is the bare minimum.”
Well said. The television personality acknowledged that she’ll likely get a “surface level” apology from Huda and Louis afterward. However, she wants everyone involved to take action and donate to organizations “dedicated to educating and uplifting” the Black community instead:
“While I anticipate this will result in surface level apologies that fade in a few days, I’d like to transform this moment into something actionable. I encourage those who have participated in the stream and their followers to demonstrate a genuine commitment to anti-racism by donating to organizations and foundations dedicated to educating and uplifting this community such as the UNCF, NAACP, and/or the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. I will be making a personal donation as well.”
See the statement (below):
Huda came out with another post on IG Stories in light of what Olandria had to say:
“I’ve taken the majority of the day to reflect and collect my thoughts to make sure this didn’t come off as disingenuous. Last night, I quickly posted a statement acknowledging my reaction to the racial slur that was said on Louis’ livestream. I want to take this moment to more fully take accountability for my actions.”
She insisted she respects her former co-star and is disheartened that someone, especially seemingly a child, would use such a harmful word:
“ I want to begin by saying I completely respect Olandria, and it’s extremely disheartening that anyone, especially a presumed child, would find it excusable to use this type of language, and doing so only underlines the ignorance of the gravity that such a word carries.”
The momma then directly addressed Olandria to apologize for her reaction — but swore it didn’t come from a place where she found the slur funny:
“Olandria — it is now clear that this comment was targeted at you, and I apologize for my immediate reaction. My reaction in that moment came from being caught off guard, not from finding the word or situation funny. It was a nervous, uncomfortable reaction that I recognize was inappropriate. I want to be clear that I do not condone or tolerate anyone who uses such language, and I strongly encourage the individual responsible to reflect deeply on their words and the harm they’ve caused.”
Huda then took Olandria’s advice and decided to make a “personal donation to the NAACP,” encouraging others to do the same. She also included links to resources in follow-up slides. Check it out (below):
For his part, Louis also took to IG to address the controversy. He said:
“I’d like to extend my sincerest apology to all those affected by the caller who used language that completely goes against everything we stand for. Huda and I were extremely caught off guard. As a Black man, I have greater empathy through my own lived experiences battling racism. And the idea that a flustered response to a very unnerving situation could be misinterpreted for me not taking the matter seriously is incredibly disheartening.”
The Perfect Match alum insisted he was only “shocked” by what came out of the presumably young caller’s mouth:
“I was extremely shocked that someone would so casually use harmful and dangerous language. And Huda and I both recognize the immediate need to end the call so we could process what had just happened. We were shocked that what sounded like a young caller could so thoughtlessly speak that way. This was an extremely unfortunate situation. One that in no way reflects my values, nor Huda’s. We are both very proud of the way we’ve used our platforms to be a voice for those who are often under-represented, especially on TV. We are even more motivated now to approach every audience interaction with respect, inclusivity, and care.”
Wow…
And that is not the end of the situation. Several Love Islanders, including Chelley Bissainthe, Iris Kendall, and Amaya Espinal, are also taking a moment to condemn racism following the controversy. Take a look (below):
At this time, Olandria hasn’t reacted further to the scandal.
What are your thoughts, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments!
To learn more about civil rights issues, check out https://www.splcenter.org/.
[Image via Huda Mustafa/Louis Russell/Olandria Carthen/Instagram]
