The cast of Love Island USA season seven is back in the headlines again thanks to a livestream.
On October 27th, 2025, Love Island USA season seven islander Huda Mustafa and boyfriend Louis Russell, who appeared on Too Hot to Handle seasons 5 and 6, and Perfect Match season 3, were on Russell’s livestream when a fan, who is assumed to be a child, called in and called fellow islander Olandria Carthen a racial slur.
The pair quickly ended the call and burst into laughter before Mustafa asked about what the caller said, and Russell said the caller said “a bad word.”
The clip from that livestream went viral, prompting both Mustafa and Russell to issue separate apologies on their accounts after receiving backlash.
“I apologize for my immediate reaction.”
Mustafa’s first statement did not sit well with many, as she was contradicting herself when she explained that she and Russell laughed out of nervousness and, in the same sentence, said it was difficult to hear what was being said, because of the caller’s child-like voice. However, not only I, but others who saw the clip were clearly able to understand what was said, even though it sounded like it came from a child. This led to Mustafa issuing a second apology, acknowledging that she and Russell reacted inappropriately, offering a direct apology to Carthen and saying she would donate to the NAACP.
“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. Olandria; it is now clear that this comment was targeted at you, and I apologize for my immediate reaction,” said Mustafa in her second statement.
Russell, who is mixed-race, had the following to say in part of his statement:
“As a Black man, I have a 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,” said Russell.
Their apologies were not accepted by many who saw through them, with people sharing how the pair wouldn’t have laughed if that same slur was directed towards Russell, or Mustafa’s 5-year-old daughter, who is also mixed-race.
Brands that have partnered with Mustafa did not find the pair’s reaction to the slur funny and were not swayed by the apologies.
Gymshark was the first to come out and state that while they had partnered with Mustafa in the past, she was never a brand ambassador for the athletic apparel retailer and announced they will not collaborate with her in the future.
On October 31st, 2025, Huda Beauty founder Huda Kattan announced that the makeup brand had ended their partnership with Mustafa in a two-page statement on their Instagram page.
“We know that many members of our community and team were hurt and offended by these actions. While we valued the partnership we had with Huda, her recent behaviour and the way the situation was handled does not reflect our brand’s principles. As a result, we have decided to end our partnership and remove any related content from our social platforms and in-store displays,” said in part of Huda Beauty’s statement.
In this day and age, people need to understand that racism won’t be tolerated and there are consequences for those who take part in it, especially when you’re in the public eye. Brands have a reputation to protect, and they don’t want to be affiliated with anything that can affect their reputation.
This situation also serves as a reminder of what can happen when people don’t check people within their circle when they do things that can reflect poorly on them. Not all, but a handful of Mustafa’s followers have displayed racism not only towards Carthen, but also towards fellow season seven islander Chelley Bissanthe, before this incident. At the season seven reunion, both Carthen and Bissanthe expressed they were deeply hurt over Mustafa not sticking up for them, with Mustafa claiming she was “too busy” to do so.
“That kind of language is never acceptable.”
While the caller should be held accountable for their choice of words, Mustafa and Russell should also be held accountable for their reaction. While there’s nothing new about people laughing out of nervousness, there’s nothing funny about calling someone a racial slur. So, laughing at a racial slur being used is not appropriate.
Despite this, Carthen handled the situation gracefully and encouraged her followers to donate to organizations such as the NAACP, UNCF, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and any other organization dedicated to educating and uplifting the Black community in a statement on her Instagram page.
In parts of her statement, Carthen said the following:
“That kind of language is never acceptable,” she wrote. “Not in anger, not as a joke, not ever. Words like that carry generations of pain, and pretending otherwise only keeps the cycle going. Defending it, laughing about it, or making excuses is even worse,” said Carthen
Other season seven islanders, including Carthen’s partner, Nic Vansteenberghe, have also condemned Mustafa and Russell’s reaction, all the while praising Carthen for how she handled herself in the situation.
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