Love Island USA’s Taylor Williams Reacts to Accusations He Led on Olandria Carthen

Published: Jul 14 2025

Taylor Williams is speaking out against accusations that he led Olandria Carthen on during their time on "Love Island USA." The former contestant, who was eliminated from the villa alongside Clarke Carraway during the July 8th episode, firmly maintains that his interest in Olandria was genuine before he coupled up with Clarke.

"I was definitely interested in her," Taylor exclusively told E! News. "If Clarke and I had never hit it off, I would have continued to pursue things with Olandria, because what we had was real."

"We had a strong connection," he added. "In fact, it was the strongest connection in the house. We genuinely liked each other, but what I had with Clarke was different from what I had with Olandria."

Love Island USA’s Taylor Williams Reacts to Accusations He Led on Olandria Carthen 1

The 24-year-old from Oklahoma went on to gush about how he was immediately drawn to Clarke, who entered the villa as a bombshell. "It was like an instant spark, an instant connection," he explained. "I had a different feeling with Clarke, and it was something I couldn't pass up, because I'm here to find someone I can build a future with outside the villa."

Despite viewer skepticism about his relationship with Clarke, Taylor doubled down on his choice. "I don't see how it's fake," he said. "If it was fake, even though Clarke and I hit it off so well, I would have chosen Olandria and taken the safe route to the end. But choosing Clarke was definitely following my heart."

Clarke echoed these sentiments, stating, "I'm not good at faking. I don't lie. I'm a very honest person. Faking would be crazy."

As for Olandria, Clarke harbors no ill will towards her fellow Islander, despite the often tense love triangle they formed in the villa. "I like her a lot, so I would love to be friends with her outside the villa," Clarke shared. "Obviously, if she's comfortable with that, I would love it."

Taylor agreed, even going so far as to give his blessing to Olandria and her current partner Nic Vansteenberghe. "I have no problem with Olandria," he said. "I'm rooting for her and Nic."

"I have no bad blood towards her," Taylor added. "Yeah, Olandria and I can definitely be friends after this."

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