Television

Well, consider us shocked! Love Island USA‘s Season 7 finale is Sunday, and in the final competitive episode of the season on Friday, one couple left before the field was narrowed down to our last four couples.

And in a shocker, the fourth couple to leave the villa before the finale, due to America’s vote, is…..Ace Greene and Chelley Bissainthe. The two Islanders, who had a star-crossed lovers storyline of sorts before finally being able to couple together and some ups and downs throughout the season, but had a pretty smooth journey toward the end before they finally closed off recently.

Prior to the episode airing, the two chatted with Blavity’s Shadow and Act about being eliminated right before the finale, what exactly went down at the Heart Rate challenge and its the mailbox night aftermath, the growth they’ve been through this season, how well they knew each other before the show and much more.

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The below interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. You can view the full video above.

I’m actually very gagged to be chatting with y’all. I was thinking [you were] at least Top 2 [couples of the season]. What are your immediate feelings right now, as it seemed that you all had made progress in the past few days—a lot of cute dates, you got to go to the hideaway… shout out to the worldwide hit song “Eat That Kitty in the Hideaway.” What are your immediate thoughts on being so close to the end and being eliminated right now?

Chelley: It’s a bittersweet moment, honestly. We got to walk out together, so that means we won. So there’s not anything more I could really ask for. It’s just the feeling of leaving everybody behind. The close friendships that we made, the people that we love so much. It’s like, “Damn, we’re not going to wake up to you guys anymore.” But I mean, we still get to wake up together. So it’s just one of those things of like “Hey, I guess it had to end at some point,” you know?

Ace: Honestly, it is a bittersweet moment. We’re leaving a lot of friends behind, but I feel like I came and did what I needed to do. We had a long process throughout this entire season, and once I felt like it was time for me and her to be exclusive, I felt at that moment my journey ended. I was cool with it. It was just time for us to leave.

I want to talk to you both for a moment about the aftermath of the mailbox night. First off, I want to dive into the Huda and Ace moment [during the Heart Rate challenge]. What exactly happened in that moment and the levels of inappropriate it reached, because it definitely had a reaction with you both. And can you give me a perspective of what happened and how that made you both feel in that moment and in the time afterward?

Chelley: I know for me in that moment I was very upset, especially [when] we stand on this code of girl code, and having respect for one another in that moment, I didn’t feel like I was being respected. So in that moment, I was very disappointed; I didn’t enjoy it anymore. But we got to have a conversation and resolve it and find a middle ground to we could squash this, we could get past it and continue our friendship.

Ace: It’s 24 hours in a day. Only one hour gets shown. But as long as she moved on for me and she’s at a clear mind, that’s what I cared about is making sure she was okay. But it was a lot that went down.

Chelley, I also want to know if you could provide any more context about the conversations you and Huda had about Chris coming to the villa, and you not really feeling it was done with the same purpose in mind that you may have had.

Chelley: The conversation was, ‘I want to be able to bring him back.’ She knows Ace and I’s connection was very strong, so she knows there was a big chance that I wasn’t going to couple up with Chris. So her thing was like, “I know you guys still want to explore, so how about I bring them for you, and I’ll also explore, but I know what you guys have, and then we’ll just go from there.” And in the moment as the days were happening, it didn’t seem like that’s what it was. But also, I just realized for myself, I’m like, “You know what? After all was said and done and the arguing and stuff, everything worked out how it was supposed to.” So, yeah, it was just a crazy situation.

Last question about the mailbox episode. Ace, I want to dive into the Amaya of it all. You both had ups and downs with the relationship and later friendship during the season. It seemed you were a bit surprised that she was polling pretty high in the fan polls in the last few episodes. It seemed that you both came to a common ground as time went on, but a lot of fans were wondering: When you first chose Amaya, did you think you all would have had as many disconnects as you did? It seemed as if you chose her and it didn’t really go anywhere.

Ace: Honestly, how that all turned [out] to be was me and Chelley had a conversation of…we did know each other coming into this experience, but we weren’t going to just lock in with each other. We wanted to explore and get to know different people. So Amaya was one of those people who I really wanted to choose and get to know and get to explore. And, again, it’s 24 hours in a day, only one hour gets shown. And it was a lot of conversations that led up to that point. But Amaya is a great, great person. Amaya is an extremely friendly person, and I love the friendship that we’ve built. Our friendship started really, really earlier than what you guys have seen throughout this whole entire process, and that’s why I defend her. Even in conversations and stuff like that, we might’ve not worked out romantically, but as a friend, she’s super, super down to earth, and I love Amaya.

I always root for Black love on these types of shows. What do you think was the biggest point of growth you both achieved, from first having interest in each other, coupling, and to the point where we are now?

Chelley: I would have to say when the whole Casa Amor experience happened, before it was what people say is the honeymoon phase. But then Casa Amor happened, and that’s where more sides of us were being shown. We really were learning about each other’s communication style, what makes you feel good, what doesn’t make you feel good, and just really learning, “You know what? There’s more to relationships than all the happy and cheery things.” There’s the moments where things don’t feel so good, but how do you navigate that? So being that we were able to navigate, that was a turning moment of, “Okay, you know what? This is meant to be. This is my person.” Yeah, I mean, it’s not every day that you get to spend every single day and 24 hours with your friends. So at first, we all walked in, and we’re all strangers.

Talk a little bit about the friendships you built during this process. When Olandria went home, there is this gif of you and Huda, and people were like, “Chelly wants to get in Olandria’s suitcase.” Then Ace, you, Nic and Taylor have a tight friendship. You know, some people think you are the ring leader of sorts, but it showed how much you cared for each other because both of those eliminations were super emotional. Can you dive into how you have such strong bonds with these people in a short amount of time?

Chelley: I remember the first day, I always say to everybody how I pictured you the first day, I couldn’t imagine you being who you are now, because we were all so nervous and this and that. But instantly we realized, okay, we’re in the same experience. We’re together morning, noon, and night. We’re really seeing each other through and through at our best moments, at our worst moments. So many different things. And the moments that you guys don’t even get to see are when we’re together and we’re talking deeply about our past and where we come from and who we are, and really clicking and bonding on those things. So being in this whole thing together just made us grow this unforgettable bond that just can’t be broken.

No one could say that they went through the same experience with us, and that’s something we’ll always share. So those moments really made us so tight where it’s like, “Damn, that is why I was so devastated to see Olandria go because that’s my girl.” Everybody probably sees 10 minutes, five minutes of our relationship when I spent 24 hours with this girl every single day, and we were really pouring into one another. So it just was quite the experience.

Ace: For me, the ringleader comments….[laughs], it was never a matter of the ringleader. We all agreed with each other when it came to most topics, and that’s why I felt like we were so close. Mine might’ve been highlighted a little bit more because I’m very vocal. I communicate with everybody. I feel like my communication is through the roof. And the same thing with Taylor and Nic. It is just, again, mine might’ve been highlighted a little bit more, but it was never a matter of like, “Oh, go do this for me. Go do that. Go do this, go do that.” We all helped each other out one way or another throughout the villa, whether it was Taylor helping me with making breakfast, whether it was Nic helping me, giving me some advice on how to move about a certain situation. We all bounced off each other when it came to how to move through the villa.

Regarding to the type of relationships that we’ve built, I was really, really sad to see Nic go, because again, I’ve dealt with some really, really dark days in the villa of just missing home and missing family and friends because we’re isolated from that. We can’t reach out and call them with a question about how to move through this. We got to deal with the emotions head-on in the villa. So when that person leaves and that you feel that’s the person you’re closest to, it’s like, “Damn, I feel like a part of me has just left in this villa.” And it was tough, but we definitely made it through the process. We made it through the fire.

I know you two aren’t too hip to social media right now because you don’t have your phones, but you spoke early in the season about knowing each other prior to the show. But the internet has so many theories about how you actually knew each other so well before this competition and how. So can you just clarify the extent of what the relationship was before this, because there’s so many things.

Chelley: I want to say knowing each other could be used very loosely as well, because we met outside of a club in NYC. So with that being said, we exchanged each other’s social media. I didn’t even give him my phone number. We had each other on social media, and as people could see, he’s been in my comments. I’ve been in his. He might’ve been in my DMs. But nothing too crazy where at least what I’m hearing now is that we have kids, we’ve lived together, all these crazy things. And it just goes to show the internet is crazy. Even Amaya is someone that I’ve known before we got into the scene. Even seeing her was a shocker to me because I’m like, “What the f**k are you doing here?” Andreina was another person that I knew. So it was like, “Yo, this is actually crazy.” It was a joke of like, “Oh, Chelly knows everybody.” And even the other guys knowing each other too.

Ace: I knew Pepe. I knew Pepe before coming into this experience. I knew Nic and Jeremiah knew each other.

Chelley: They worked together before, so it’s just a thing of this is out of our hands. We just show up. We get the invite, and we show up. It’s a whole process to come onto Love Island. I know they go through extensive research to dot their I’s cross their T’s. It wasn’t a secret that we follow each other on social media and stuff, but as far as to say a relationship before this, and kids, and a house, and this and that is crazy. We were definitely friends on Instagram, but anything past that, he’s in LA. I was in New York at the time. It’s not that.

As someone who lives in New York City, it’s nothing to meet somebody out, and one night you follow them on Instagram. And then maybe a few months later, you’re like, “Who is this person? When did I meet them?”

Chelley: Exactly, exactly. And it really is like that. So it’s crazy. These people don’t know us. They don’t know me. These are allegations and stuff. But if you know anything about New York City, you could run into literally anybody and meet anybody. So, I mean, hopefully that answers all these people’s questions, but it was very funny to hear all these crazy ass things [laughs].

The Love Island USA Season 7 finale airs Sunday on Peacock.

With just a few episodes before the Love Island USA Season 7 finale, Taylor Williams and Clarke Carraway were dumped from the villa after America voted for their favorite couple.

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Taylor and Clarke were the first couple of the season to depart at the same time, and it capped off a tumultuous yet successful post-Casa Amor experience for the duo.

After Taylor chose Clarke during the Casa phase of the competition, effectively ending his relationship with Olandria Carthen, the duo faced criticism from many fans online due to how the situation with Olandria was handled. When viewers were able to vote in polls, they ranked the duo low both separately and collectively, and this all came to a head this week when votes could be placed for America’s favorite couple, and Taylor and Clarke were in last.

Looking back on his initial decision to be with Clarke, Taylor said that he was thinking of not only what America would think of him in that moment, but his fellow Islanders.

On America voting for them last in polls and eventually dumping them

He told Blavity’s Shadow and Act in our exit interview with the couple, “Yeah, it was a little thought that I had in my head [about what viewers may think]. I was even thinking about my Islanders that was there with me, I was like, “S**t, what they finna think about the damn situation. So it was just that, and then also, I was like, ‘Well, America finna hate me for this. I’m finna shock America with this, with me choosing Clarke.’ So of course, it was in my mind, but it was like, at the end of day, I got to do what’s best for me and not what’s best for America or to make my other castmates happy.”

As for how America voted them low in several of the polls, both Taylor and Clarke say they weren’t shocked at this.

Taylor explained, “For me, at least, I wasn’t surprised. I shocked America when I chose Clarke, so I was like, ‘You know what? You finna pay for the consequences. They finna vote you last and everything.’ [I was] voted in top three before I was coupled up with Clarke, and then as soon as I couple up with Clarke, then I’m bottom three for everything, it was just like, “OK y’all, I kind of expected this to happen.’ So I wasn’t shocked. S**t, even my castmates, they wasn’t shocked that America voted me bottom three for everything. So they already understood the situation that I was in and the situation I put her in.”

Clarke added, “I wasn’t surprised after he was voted last for everything. I was like, “Yeah, I’m next. Let’s get into it. Why not?” But I also think the way we’re living it is different than how people are seeing it, and as they’re voting, everything’s kind of delayed for us. So they didn’t have as much time to see how we are in a couple, to even see me and who I am as an individual, so I wasn’t surprised.”

Taylor explains why he wouldn’t have done anything differently

A major point of contention for fans is was how everything went down between Taylor and Olandria. Some people say that he should have been more honest with Olandria about his feelings and leaning toward Clarke, especially since she didn’t puruse a relationship with bombshell Jalen Brown. However, Taylor says he doesn’t regret not telling her sooner because those were his actual feelings.

“I would say no [regrets], because I was really feeling Olandria,” he told us. “And even with the whole her and Jalen situation, I gave her her time to explore Jalen. I wasn’t trying to be around 24/7. I let them explore that. It was just nothing there, or what they had wasn’t as strong as what me and her had, which says something because we did have a strong connection. And when I met Clarke, it was just different. It was like an instant spark, and we had like an instant strong connection. So it was a feeling that I didn’t have. So it was like if I didn’t meet Clarke or met someone else…like with Coco…if it was me and Coco instead, I still would’ve chosen Olandria. But me and Clarke just had that connection.”

Clarke on her dynamic with Olandria

As for how she felt about the dynamic she shared with Olandria, Clarke said, “I feel like we weren’t dealt the best cards as far as having a super-close friendship, but I think we made the best of the situation that we were in. We had a sit-down, and I remember her saying like, ‘Damn, I wanted you to be mean so I could hate you.’ And we just came to an agreement. We both really do like each other as people, and although we are in an awkward situation, that doesn’t mean we have to hate each other. I love her, I think she’s great, and I would hope she would say the same about me [laughs]. But yeah, I think we liked each other, and we made the best of the cards that we were dealt.”

The Love Island USA Season 7 penultimate episode airs Friday night, followed by Love Island USA: Aftersun on Saturday and the season finale on Sunday.

Serena Page, JaNa Craig and Leah Kateb, the “PPG” breakout stars of Love Island USA Season 6, ultimately say that they decided to return to reality television for their supporters. The trio is returning, along with other Love Island USA Season 6 alums, for the docuseries, Love Island: Beyond the Villa.

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On returning for the spinoff series, Craig said during the cast interview with Blavity’s Shadow And Act, “It was a group effort. We were going back and forth with the whole gang gang gang, deciding [if] we wanted to do it or not, but essentially it was like [for] us three, we’re going to do it together, or we’re not going to do it at all. And I don’t know…I think we are just so grateful for all the love we’ve gotten from supporters that we told ourselves we’re going to do it for them. We stepped out of our comfort zone before and it went well. So let’s not waste this opportunity. Let’s give it another chance and,I think, show gratitude to everyone that’s ever showed love for us. So we really did it for you guys.”

They also spoke to us about how they have dealt with what comes with going from regular people to overnight superstars, who now have millions of followers and legions of people who support them.

“Well, step one was deleting Twitter,” Page said. [It was] done. Probably very soon after leaving he villa. That app had to go, just because I feel like it just fuels a lot of negativity.”

Kateb added, “And it only lives on that app. When you open up the other apps, you’re like, ‘No, no. All is well.’”

“It’s not something that I feel like anyone should be subjecting themselves to just sit there and look [at],” Page continued. “It is just a bunch of negativity and I feel like outside of that, [we] just weed it out and try and ignore it.”

Adding some more thoughts, Kateb said, “It just comes with the territory. And I think we all do a really good job of not letting it bother us because we know our friendship, we know our relationships, we know our lives, and the people that are in our lives know us. And so I think that’s just really important and also we have our supporters and at the end of the day, it’s like, that’s really all that matters.”

What they say for the fans who send them so much love

Craig also sent a message to fans who do support them on social media, and how that support weights out the negativity.

“I’ll say that we do see them…the ones that support us, defend us. We see you guys. We’re so, so grateful. Obviously, it gets to an extent where it gets a little bit crazy, but the actual stan pages that really do just show love to PPGM, it means the world to us. And we think it’s so beautiful. It’s so cute.”

Love Island: Beyond the Villa premieres Sunday following the Season 7 finale.