Austin Shepard is steadfastly refusing to entertain unfounded allegations. Upon his return from his stint on Season Seven of "Love Island USA," the reality TV personality addressed a fan's accusation labeling him a "racist bigot" during an Instagram Stories Q&A session. In a July 4th video, Austin stated emphatically, "I'm only going to address this nonsense once because this is absurd. Are you seriously this dumb? Do you even think before you speak?"
The 26-year-old further insisted that one of his tattoos served as irrefutable evidence of his innocence. "I have a Black woman tattooed on my side," he continued, flashing the camera his inked tribute. "Use your common sense," he implored.
Austin had recently been evicted from the villa alongside Andreina Santos, TJ Palma, Gracyn Blackmore, and Jaden Duggar. Meanwhile, his fellow season veteran Yulissa Escober was swiftly removed from the Peacock reality series after just two episodes due to online backlash stemming from her use of the N-word in resurfaced podcast appearances.
"Firstly, I want to express my sincere apologies for using a word that I had no business uttering," she penned on Instagram two days after her episodes aired. "In those clips, I employed a racial slur that I never should have. I used it out of ignorance, without fully comprehending its gravity, history, or the pain it inflicts. My intentions were never to offend or cause harm, but I now acknowledge that intent does not excuse impact."
"I have undergone significant transformation since then, not merely in my choice of words but in my demeanor, conduct, and respect for others' experiences," she continued. "True growth entails acknowledging one's mistakes, even if it's uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and accountability."
Amidst viewers' speculation that she was quietly removed from the villa while the other islanders slumbered, the 27-year-old set the record straight regarding her exit. "Plot twist: I wasn't carted out in the dead of night," she captioned a July 3 TikTok video. "I marched out in broad daylight, head held high, lashes flawlessly applied."
Recalling the moment, Yulissa shared that she was beginning to feel comfortable and was just starting to emerge from her shell when her day took an unexpected turn. It began like any other, with her costar Ace Greene preparing her breakfast. "I can't recall the exact time because we're cut off from the outside world," she explained. "I was summoned to the front and met with a producer who asked me to remove my mic."
"I was genuinely scared," she added. "I feared something had happened to a family member. They didn't disclose much. They simply mentioned that a video had resurfaced online and it wasn't looking good. I had no idea which video, what I had said, or what I had done."
