Two more islanders were sent home during Sunday night’s episode of “Love Island USA” Season 7.
With the help of the public and safe contestants, Jeremiah Brown and Hannah Fields became the latest individuals to be dumped from the island. On June 20, viewers cast their votes for their favorite female and male islanders to remain in the villa and continue exploring their romantic connections. The results were revealed, leaving six competitors vulnerable and at risk of being eliminated from the island during the episode that streamed on June 22.
Among the women with the fewest votes were Fields, Iris Kendall and Amaya Espinal. The men who were also at the bottom of the ranking included Brown, Jose “Pepe” Garcia-Gonzalez and Austin Shepard. Although the public had the initial vote for who to remove from the villa, the ultimate decision was left to the remaining contestants.
The islanders who were saved by the public ultimately decided to send Brown and Fields home, a decision that shocked not only the named contestants but also viewers. Fields entered the new season as a bombshell who recoupled with Garcia after her initial connection with Charli Georgiou was cut short due to his elimination.
Brown arrived as part of the original cast and formed an instant romance with fellow castmate Huda Mustafa, who has so far this season drawn the most attention from the audience. Early on, his relationship with Mustafa became the focal point as their coupling progressed and snowballed into a tumultuous relationship that the other islanders found upsetting, as it created a toxic atmosphere in the villa. With the concept of “Love Island” being a space to explore connections, many of the islanders raised their concerns about Brown and Mustafa’s steadfast commitment to each other in a short period.
Viewers took the opportunity to separate the couple by voting to pair bombshell Kendall with Brown, ultimately moving on from his first relationship with Mustafa. Brown continued to explore his connections and pursued the new bombshell, Andreina Santos, who entered the villa during Episode 15. Amid Brown and Santos deepening their connection, their time together abruptly ended after the men made a collective decision for Brown to be dumped from Fiji.
Below, Brown talked to Variety about his elimination, his relationship with Mustafa, where he stands with the men and more.
Taylor Williams said that they voted you off because of how you navigated exploring connections in the villa. What’s your perspective on what happened and their reason for sending you home?
They can say we don’t want him to recreate old habits, but I had already communicated to them multiple times that I’m doing it the right way now. I’m doing it slowly. I never did what they said, but our values did line up. They’re telling me to explore everything. I’m now exploring everything, and it still wasn’t enough. So when they said they didn’t want me to recreate old habits, that’s some bullshit! I couldn’t buy that. They saw a chance to get out their competition. It is a game at the end of the day. I know that they had an interest in the bombshell, and we were getting pretty close. It was honestly getting out a competitor.
Were you surprised when your name was called?
I had a feeling in my gut. I love Austin, but he hasn’t found anybody in three weeks. Pepe was a bombshell, and they didn’t get along with him at first. Logically, there were two more viable options. When Taylor did it instead of Nic [Vansteenberghe] or Ace, I knew I was out of there. I was surprised. It reaffirmed what I already had in my head. No matter what path I chose, it was an issue.
How did it feel when they said their decision to vote you off wasn’t personal?
I heard that like 30 times and nothing else. When Charlie [Georgiou] and Jalen [Brown] got voted off, they had real conversations. They didn’t say why they did it. They just said it wasn’t personal, and I’m not going for that. When I vote, it’s all personal. I don’t care if you fuck up a million times; if you’re my friend, then I’m keeping you. That’s just how I work.
Ace was one of the main islanders who consistently criticized how you explored your connections in the villa. Why do you think he consistently singled you out?
It probably started with me curving Yulissa [Escobar] so she would steal him instead of me because I wanted to explore things with Huda. I panicked and thought, “What can I do not to get stolen?” That probably started us off on the wrong foot, because he wanted to be coupled up with Chelley [Bissainthe]. We had many great moments together, but we didn’t always see eye to eye. It could be intimidation. I don’t know.
Where do you currently stand with Ace, Nic and Taylor?
Respectfully, I’m staying on my side. I know it’s a game show, and I shouldn’t get in my feelings about it. But what they said and how they moved, I don’t want people like that around me. I wish them the best, but I’m good. I’m going to do my own thing.
You didn’t have much time to confront the boys after their decision. What did you want to say to them that you didn’t get a chance to?
I swear I told them multiple times that I’m doing it the right way — not even trying to convince them. I would see them across the field hating. And once we [Andreina Santos] kissed, I knew they were really hating. I was going to say something in the bedroom when I was packing, but nothing I could have said would have changed what happened.
Your strong connection with Huda was a significant focus this season. What characteristics stood out about her that made you have such strong feelings?
When I first walked up to her at the bar, there was this crazy spark, and we both saw it before the first coupling. We were having conversations where she said she was very level-headed, emotionally mature and a woman of God. On paper, all our values lined up mentally, physically and spiritually until everything happened. I wanted to pursue her, and that’s what I did. In hindsight, it didn’t work out. But that’s the journey.
It seemed challenging for you to fully engage in the whole experience because you two were so close. What type of conversations would you both have about standards and expectations, especially when it came to doing challenges and interacting with the other women?
The challenges were tough. In the first challenge, I didn’t want to do anything with anybody else because I wanted to respect her and focus on that. Then, I felt like I couldn’t [participate]. After the baseball challenge, we had a talk where we said, “We have to participate. This is why we’re here. We can do the challenges. We’ll be fine. We’re supposed to be tested.” We tell people who come in that we’re rocking together. If something happens, we communicate that because we were never closed off. After the first challenge, I wasn’t going through the rest of the season stepping on eggshells.
When she told you that she was a mom, you were clearly caught off guard. Would you have navigated your connection differently if she had told you she was a mom early on?
Part of me wants to say no, but I’ve never talked to a mom. So, I’m going to feel some type of way. To be truthful about who I am, I’d have to say yes because I’ve never chosen to go after a single mom. The spark would have still been there, but it would have changed the dynamic.
It became hard to watch as your relationship with Huda turned toxic. From your perspective, when did things start to change between you two?
Pancake day. It was when I was getting yelled at for not making a pancake that I didn’t know was being made. That’s when I started to see shit. I didn’t say anything because I was trying to make it work. I was like, “OK, I don’t agree with this, but I like you so much, so let’s see what I can do.” That’s when I had that long talk at the fire pit that night.
You seemed to care for Huda a lot, so it was hard to watch her berate and criticize you. What kind of feelings came up for you when she spoke about you like that?
It hurt, because we had a strong connection. You’re saying how much you care about me and then turning around and calling me this and that. I don’t vibe with that. How you talk about me behind my back is how you really feel about me. Ever since that night when I heard her in the shower, I tried to come back from it by having a conversation. I can’t be with someone that did all that. It would be different if it were private or face-to-face. But when you’re yelling across the villa, I can’t get behind that.
When America voted to separate you both, what message did that send to you about your relationship with Huda?
It confirmed many things I had been pushing back because I liked her so much and wanted to find a way to make it work. That’s why I couldn’t confront her. I should have. It broke everything down in my head for me. When that recoupling happened, America saw something –even if they were just being messy. At first, I was pissed. It broke me because I had just got to a good spot with Huda. But then it confirmed maybe it wasn’t as solid as I thought it was.
This interview has been edited and condensed.