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Explosive 'Love Island USA' reunion recap: Couples broke up, men accused of lying
By KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY,
22 hours ago
The bombshells have re-entered the villa.
The " Love Island USA " Season 6 cast, who skyrocketed to fame as their antics on the 36-episode series became a social media phenomenon this summer, came together to tell-all in a reunion that dropped on Peacock Monday night.
Host Ariana Madix got all the details on what the islanders — including Leah Kateb , Serena Page and JaNa Craig , who've been lovingly labeled "PPG" or Powerpuff Girls — have been up to since Serena and Kordell Beckham were named the fan-favorite couple.
As ready as fans were for the reunion, no one was as prepared as JaNa, who pulled out a stapled stack of papers, which seemed to be her notes from watching the show back.
From what's been going on with finalists Kendall Washington and Nicole Jacky to why Kaylor Martin is now single after leaving with Aaron Evans, here are the biggest takeaways from the "Love Island USA" reunion.
From left, "Love Island USA" Season 6 stars JaNa Craig, Nicole Jacky, Kaylor Martin, Olivia Walker, Kenny Rodriguez, Kordell Beckham and Rob Rausch visit the Empire State Building on Aug. 15, 2024 in New York City. Eugene Gologursky, Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust
Winners Serena and Kordell as well as finalists Leah and Miguel Harichi and JaNa and Kenny Rodriguez all confirmed they have cemented their statuses as boyfriend and girlfriend since leaving Fiji.
The season's final addition, Season 5 star Kassy Castillo, said her connection with Rob hasn't gone outside of the villa, confirming they are only "friends." Meanwhile, Kaylor confirmed she and her British beau Aaron are never, ever, getting back together. As for Kendall and Nicole, well, it's complicated. Read on for the details.
The season's most tumultuous relationship is officially no more.
“Not very good,” Aaron said when Madix asked how he and Kaylor were doing.
“I’m just going to come out and say it. I lied to Kaylor, straight up. I didn’t tell her the full truth. I put my hands down Daniela’s pants. I kissed her, I snogged her, we had loads of romantic connections.”
Aaron Evans and Kaylor Martin talk in the "Love Island USA" Season 6 reunion, which dropped Aug. 19, 2024, on Peacock. Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock
Apparently, even post-show, Aaron was never fully honest about how close he and Daniella Noelle Ortiz-Rivera were in Casa Amor.
“Why didn’t you tell me this two days ago when I was asking you in our hotel room?” Kaylor exclaimed. “I just saw you the last three … days in New York, and you haven’t said that to me once. Why would you do that? Why do you keep lying to me? And quit love-bombing me.”
“Literally, I cannot believe I wasted my entire … summer on you, Aaron,” Kaylor continued. “I don’t want anything to do with you. I never want to speak to you again; you’re disgusting, and I do not deserve that.”
“I don’t deserve you,” he agreed before she switched seats with Olivia to move farther from him.
Kaylor Martin and Aaron Evans speak with their families in a video call on Season 6, Episode 33, of "Love Island USA." Kim Nunneley/Peacock
Where it started going wrong in the past month was when she went home to Pennsylvania and watched some parts of the show back, Kaylor said.
Aaron apologized for his lack of transparency but also defended himself: “I was in a bad place when my granddad died. There wasn’t a point where I felt like I could tell you.”
The women controversially voted to send Andrea home over JaNa and Nicole in Episode 8. Rob vowed to go home with her but ultimately stayed. Peacock, Ben Symons/Peacock
To everyone's surprise, Madix announced they would be showing the "uncensored" firepit conversation in which Serena, Leah, Kaylor and Olivia Walker debated whether to send home JaNa, Andrea or Nicole in Episode 8.
"Love Island" showed all six angles the cameras captured from the conversation, which became a hot topic on the show as islanders accused Leah of removing her competition so she could get back together with Rob.
"I think certain things Andrea has said to the girls has made me feel like she may or may not be here for the right reasons, as in: the 'Love Island' money, 'oh, we're going to get comped tables,' 'I'm going to do this brand deal," Leah said in the nearly 14-minute clip.
Leah defended Nicole because she was "open" to connections, while Olivia said the decision was between someone who found an immediate connection (Andrea) and someone who was playing the field.
After the majority voted to dump Andrea, with Olivia being the dissenting vote, they begged an off-camera producer to make the decision for them as they were pressured to lock down a vote. Of course, in a controversial move they eliminated Andrea, causing Rob to vow to leave with her. (He didn't.)
"Did you hear my say her name? Did you hear me pushing for that?" Leah said back in the reunion studio. "I did not sway it towards Andrea. That's all. Thank you."
Nicole Jacky and Kendall Washington discuss their rocky relationship in the "Love Island USA" Season 6 reunion, which dropped Aug. 19, 2024, on Peacock. Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock
Social media has been speculating about Kendall and Nicole's relationship status for weeks. Kendall and Nicole allowed a pregnant pause after Madix asked whether they're still together. Nicole confirmed: "I haven't ended things; we're still together."
"It's been a bit tough coming on the outside," Kendall said. "Just trying to communicate and work (through) things."
"Communicate?" Nicole interjected. "You have not been communicating, and you never have been?"
As Nicole cried beside him and his friends reassured him, Kendall admitted, "I'm just going to say something happened. I should've told Nicole the full truth when it happened, and I didn't."
Nicole appeared to confirm that what he was talking about was an explicit video of Kendall that made the rounds on social media right before the July 21 finale.
From left, finalists Kendall Washington and Nicole Jacky are seen on Season 6, Episode 36, of "Love Island USA." Ben Symons/Peacock
"The video is not OK. Like, nobody deserves that," she said. "However, I think if you say you love somebody in the moment when you're telling me about something you need to be honest. Instead of saying it's from years ago to someone you trusted, an ex-girlfriend, and then I find out ... from JaNa that it was in the hotel room before you go on the show to someone on a dating app? Is crazy."
Kendall replied, "I 100% should've been honest with Nicole in that moment, but I honestly wasn't ready. My life was turned upside down and all I wanted to do was to have you there."
He hasn't checked on her wellbeing, Nicole alleged: "You've never once, genuinely, been like, 'Are you OK?'"
Leah and JaNa were among the friends who came to Kendall's defense and attempted to persuade Nicole to see his side.
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