On May 29, Peacock unveiled the contestants for Love Island USA's seventh season, which is slated to premiere tonight at 9 p.m. EST. The latest iteration of the popular reality TV show is set to feature a group of single women and men from across the globe, from Hawaii to California to Florida (the latter of which is home to three contestants this season).
All of the show's cast members will show up in Fiji with some sort of baggage this summer, but some carry more than others.
Enter: 27-year-old Yulissa Escobar from Miami.
"Straight from Miami and headed to the villa! She's all about kindness, connection, and staying true to who she is," reads a caption for Escobar's Instagram post announcing her arrival on the show. "We can't wait for you to get to know her heart, her humor, and everything in between."
According to Escobar's Instagram, she works in real estate, hospitality, and "luxury & business." Her LinkedIn account shows she's the "VIP Services Coordinator" for a company called Goat Hospitality Group, whose clients appear to include Pilo's Street Tacos and Nathan's Beach Club.
However, evidenced by her older social media posts, Escobar's online footprint has extended far beyond entrepreneurship.
After Peacock released its cast reveal trailer late last week, internet sleuths resurfaced a handful of Escobar's older social media posts featuring her posing for selfies in a bright red "Make America Great Again" hat. In one now-deleted TikTok video from November 2024, Escobar describes losing followers over her pro-Trump beliefs.
"I lost about 600 followers because I'm a Trump supporter?" Escobar asks in the video. "You guys need to grow a pair of balls and stop being so soft."
Another undated clip recently posted by TikTok user @celebsnapz appears to show Escobar repeatedly using the n-word while appearing on a podcast. (Note: New Times has not independently verified the footage.)
"You fuck my nigga, perfect, but that's it," she says. "Like, now I'm fucking my nigga. He's my nigga. Like, bye, bitch."
Since Escobar was announced as a cast member, an Instagram post about her on the official Love Island USA (@loveislandusa) Instagram has been flooded with...not-so-nice comments.
"Chat, is this the girl we're voting off?" one person commented.
"DEPORT HER FROM MY VILLA," wrote another.
"America, this is your chance to finally get the voting right," a third quipped.
Escobar did not respond to New Times' request for comment via Instagram DM or email.
