Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales Clinch Love Island USA Season 7 Crown
Another day, another reality TV whirlwind to unpack. America cast its votes in the July 13 finale of Love Island USA season seven and the sun really did set on a sizzling summer romance when Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales walked away with the $100,000 prize. This summer’s villa marathon felt like a boundary-pushing soap opera, complete with surprise dumpings, race-related controversies, and an all-star reunion special on the horizon.
Viewers first got swept up when Amaya—fondly dubbed “Amaya Papaya”—and Bryan emerged as frontrunners. Amaya’s celebratory words rang out on finale night: “Boy, was this a ride,” she admitted, adding that she’d gladly endure the chaos all over again just to land right back in Bryan’s arms. She used her winner’s podium to empower fans everywhere with a message about self-worth: “Nobody should ever be tamed, and there’s always someone out there who’s going to love you for you—craziness and all. Don’t ever settle.” Bryan returned the support with his own cheers, confirming that he and Amaya will head home as a power couple to watch.
Behind them, Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen secured runner-up status, while Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley—who decided early on to stay friends—landed in third. Iris Kendall and Pepe Gonzalez wrapped up the top four, and shockwaves went through social feeds when fan-favorites Chelley Bissainthe and Ace Greene were shown the door in the July 11 pre-finale vote. According to a Peacock press release, viewers shouldn’t worry—this season’s cast will reunite on Aug. 25 for a special cohosted by Ariana Madix and Andy Cohen, promising more “bombshells” from the villa.
Scandal was never far behind. Day-one islander Yulissa Escobar bowed out after resurfaced podcast clips revealed a racial slur, prompting her to post on Instagram, “In those clips, I used a word I never should’ve used, a racial slur. I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it.” She later refuted claims of a midnight ejection, joking on TikTok, “Plot twist: I wasn’t dragged out in the dark. I walked out in broad daylight head high, lashes on.” Meanwhile, Nic’s partner Cierra Ortega also faced scrutiny over alleged social media slur screenshots.
Elsewhere, Huda’s explosive split from Jeremiah Brown added to the season’s drama. Jeremiah and Hannah Fields were dumped together on June 22, leaving Hannah in disbelief: “When my name was called, I had to do a double take. It honestly blew my mind,” she told E! News. Despite apologies from fellow islanders, she said, “I was pissed off. It never feels good when it’s your friends voting you out.”
The cameras never sleep in Fiji. With 85 hidden lenses capturing every flirt, fight, and flash of shade, producers splice daily footage into hour-long episodes by the next morning. That tight turnaround is how every teased promise, every emotional confession, and every cliffhanger makes it to your screen in record time.
So, what’s next for your summer guilty pleasure? Tune in for the reunion special to catch up on post-show romances, regrets, and maybe even a few long-buried secrets. Anyway, that’s the gist—do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Peacock Press Release
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
