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‘Love Island’s Huda Mustafa & BF Louis Russell Issue Public Apology Amid ‘N-Word’ Scandal

Lyndon Abioye |
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Love Island Season 7 finalist Huda Mustafa and her boyfriend, Perfect Match star Louis Russell, both issued public apologies to Olandria Carthen after they were caught laughing at a troll who called the latter the n-word with a hard “er.”

“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,” Huda’s statement began.

“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,” she continued. “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.”

Fans immediately dismissed Huda’s apology as her initial reaction the racism was to laugh before claiming that she did not hear the troll say Olandria’s name.

Her boyfriend also apologized to Olandria and to “to 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,” he wrote.

Louis continued, “I was extremely shocked that someone would so casually use harmful and dangerous language, and Huda and I both recognized 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,” Louis concluded. “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.”

Fans reacted to the apologies.

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