Home Culture Olandria and Chelley Address Racism From Love Island Fans

Olandria and Chelley Address Racism From Love Island Fans

by thenowvibe_admin

It feels as if we’ll be unpacking the latest season of Love Island USA for the rest of our lives. Since leaving the villa a mere week ago, all of the show’s most notable Islanders have debriefed their time in Fiji in front of a podcast mic. Amaya and Huda went on Call Her Daddy, Iris went on Gabby Windey’s Long Winded pod, and it seems almost like a contractual obligation for Islanders to appear on either Barstool’s Chicks in the Office or Nick Viall’s The Viall Files (if not both). Now, Keke Palmer has entered the arena.

On Tuesday, the actress hosted breakout stars Chelley and Olandria on her show, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, during which the only two dark-skinned Black women this season got frank about the racism they’ve faced from fans since returning to the real world.

Early in the episode, Palmer mentioned that Chelley and Olandria were on the receiving end of some outsize vitriol from fans. She brought up an incident in which BuzzFeed’s Tasty account shared a post saying what it would make each Islander for breakfast. For Chelley, the account suggested a “knuckle sandwich.” In a statement, the people running Chelley’s social-media accounts called the post “disturbing, disgusting, and unacceptable.”

“On the inside, we have a whole different life than what is out there, so it’s, like, I really don’t understand what made y’all think that we were these mean girls,” Chelley told Palmer. “My family, they obviously were very devastated to see [that]. I just was happy to see so many people support [me].”

She added that it felt good to come out of the villa and see support from Palmer, specifically. “To see my favorites defending us and stuff just means the world,” she said. “’Cause it’s, like — you guys are Black women as well, too. Speaking and using your voice means a lot not only to me but a lot of people who were supporting us and rocking with us.”

Later in the episode, Palmer brought up how Black women can be vilified just for saying something plainly. She gave the example of Olandria telling Huda “Don’t do that” when Huda was breaking down over Olandria leaving Casa Amor. “How often did you feel like you had to tone down, you know, as a Black woman on a TV show?” Palmer asked. “It’s like, If I just say a peep, it’s —

Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››

“— Taken out of context,” Olandria said, finishing Palmer’s sentence. “And now I’m the bad guy. I’m the mean girl. It’s very exhausting, to say the least. I really feel like me and Chelley had to tone down a lot to not cross over that boundary, because a person who looks the opposite of us, as soon as they get emotional, it’s Oh, we’re gonna cater to this person. Like, bro, what about us?”

Chelley agreed. “Everybody who’s in that villa will tell you that they can always come to us for the best advice, to come vent to us. We’re so levelheaded. We’re so honest. We’re so loving. We bring everybody peace of mind,” she added. “So to know how your fellow Islanders feel versus coming to the internet and seeing mean girl, disrespectful, angry, I’m like, Wow, y’all really don’t know us.

Palmer called the behavior out as microaggressive. “Just because I’m saying something sternly doesn’t mean you need to be afraid of me,” Palmer said. To which the women responded, in unison, “Exactly.”

Palmer then asked if there was a way for women of color to steel themselves to be on reality TV. “I don’t know if there’s a way to prepare,” Olandria said. “Honestly, just be yourself,” Chelley offered. “No matter how much you try to have a certain narrative or portray a certain narrative, whatever is put out there is out of your hands.”

That is good advice for anyone, not just people going on a reality show where they might have sex in a room with ten other people. If only that were the last word. Unfortunately, we still have a full month to go until the reunion, which means this cast will do approximately 2,000 more podcast appearances before we can all move on.

You may also like

Life moves fast—embrace the moment, soak in the energy, and ride the pulse of now. Stay curious, stay carefree, and make every day unforgettable!

@2025 Thenowvibe.com. All Right Reserved.