When People magazine published a promotional article about the final couples of Love Island USA Season 7, something was immediately off. The featured image showed six finalists mid-celebration at a foam party, but Olandria Carthen, the only Black woman to make it to the finale, was missing. People excluded Olandria not only from the photo but also from the text, even though she makes up half of the couple Nicolandria.

The omission set off a firestorm online. Fans didn’t see it as a simple mistake. They labeled it another example of mainstream media erasing Black women from love stories.

Side-by-side comparison of People magazine’s original and updated images promoting the Love Island USA Season 7 finale. The original image excluded finalist Olandria Carthen, the only Black woman left in the villa, sparking backlash. The updated version features three final couples, though Olandria and her partner are still absent.

Black Women Deserve More Than Erasure

Charna Flam, the People writer who posted the story, quickly deleted her tweet after backlash poured in. But not before users pointed out what they believed was a microaggression, intentionally or not. Black women are frequently marginalized in media coverage, reinforcing harmful racial hierarchies.

The issue fits a long-running pattern. A 2020 Al Jazeera report detailed how Black women are often omitted from key visuals or reduced to tropes like the “Jezebel” to uphold white-centered beauty standards. With the Love Island USA finale set to air on July 13, the timing of Olandria’s exclusion felt especially pointed.

A promotional image from Love Island USA Season 7 featuring six finalists—Bryan Arenales, Amaya Espinal, Iris Kendall, Huda Mustafa, Nic Vansteenberghe, and Ace Green—celebrating at a foam party. Notably missing is Olandria Carthen, the only Black woman finalist, sparking backlash over her exclusion.
Fans are calling out People for deliberately leaving Olandria out of the frame, noting the empty space on the left could’ve easily included her. Many see it as a calculated snub, not a coincidence.

Related | Love Island USA Star Olandria Carthen Signs With UTA-Owned Digital Brand Architects

Representation Without Respect Is Still Harm

Season 7 hasn’t been kind to Black women. Olandria, in particular, was repeatedly sidelined. Viewers documented scenes where she was left in unreciprocated dynamics and edited out of key storylines. One fan noted, “No way you accidentally leave out the only Black woman in the final four.” Many saw her absence from People’s coverage as a final insult, especially while voting for the winner remained open.

This isn’t an isolated complaint. Season 6 broke ground when Serena Page and Kordell Beckham became the first fully Black couple to win any Love Island franchise. Season 7 introduced more Black contestants, including Chelley Bissainthe and Olandria Carthen. But fans say the editing and coverage still fall short.

Chelley and her partner were eliminated early, despite strong support. Olandria’s romantic arc was underdeveloped. And now, major media coverage has left her out entirely.

They Tried To Erase Olandria Carthen

People magazine didn’t just crop out a Black woman. They tried to crop out accountability.

Olandria Carthen, the only Black woman to make it to the Love Island USA Season 7 finale, was nowhere to be seen in People’s original image or write-up. After fans called them out for the glaring omission, the outlet deleted the post and quietly reuploaded the same article, this time with a different image, but still no acknowledgment of what happened. No correction. No apology. Just a digital switch-up and a hope no one would notice.

But people did notice. And they’re demanding more.

This is about who gets erased, who’s seen as disposable, and who’s never considered essential to the story in the first place. Olandria made it to the finale. That fact should have made her impossible to ignore. Instead, People tried to pretend she wasn’t there, and then pretended they never did it.

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