Key Takeaways
- Olandria Carthen says “Love Island USA” edited her to appear desperate for Taylor Williams’ attention.
- She opened up on The New York Times’ “Modern Love” podcast about how the show’s portrayal affected the public's perception of her character.
- A visit from her blunt, no-nonsense mother helped her recognize how far the show’s narrative strayed from reality.
“Love Island USA” star Olandria Carthen is setting the record straight on what cameras did not capture during her pursuit of love in the villas of Fiji. Millions of viewers tuned in to Season 7 to witness the Southern bombshell play the field with eligible bachelors until finally finding her cowboy in Nic Vansteenberghe. But what people saw play out on the screen did not tell the full story.
On the Aug. 27 episode of The New York Times' “Modern Love” podcast, she got real about selective editing misrepresenting her to fans who were enveloped in full-blown discourses about her dating tactics. After being sequestered for nearly two months, she learned just how polarizing her involvement on the show had been.
“You get out and you hear these podcasts, like, speaking on my character of who they think I am. I’m, like, I am not this desperate girl. They were like, ‘Olandria needs to look in the mirror and see who she is.’ I’m like, I do know who I am,” she explained to host Anna Martin.
More specifically, Olandria noted that her waning chemistry with islander Taylor Williams was a hot topic. “I didn’t realize the type of edit that was put out, to where it looks like Taylor was uninterested. I’m like, [there's] no way you think I would get on national television, you know, coming after this man, trying to get him to see who I... choose me, pick me. Like, are you serious?” she said, rebuffing the claims. The turning point came when her mother visited the villas.
Olandria’s mom called out the dynamic she saw with Taylor onscreen
“Even when my mom came, she was like, ‘Girl, what the hell is going on with you?’ I was like, ‘Oh, hold on,’” the model recalled. She continued, “I was so caught off guard because she could only, like, tell me so much… I was, like, paralyzed. I was like, if my mom’s coming at me — because she’s very blunt. She gives it to me blunt and uncut. She was like, ‘Girl, you need to lock in, like, for real.’ And that’s when I knew. I was like oh my God, oh my God. I feel like a weird edit is getting pushed, and my mom is like, ‘Girl, who are you? I know my daughter… This ain’t you.’”
The bombshell winced at the notion that she was “this thirsty girl that’s beautiful, that’s trying to get this cowboy to see who I am and get him to choose me,” adding, “I’m like, hey, I’m not this thirsty girl y’all think I am at all.”
Since wrapping the season and updating fans on how much life has changed, the only thing left to prove is that her character is not being shaped by outsiders. Her time on “Love Island USA” may be over, but she’s not letting the show define her. By speaking out, she’s reclaiming her narrative and reminding fans that reality TV isn’t always real.