Love Island USA contestant Sean Reifel criticised by local mayor for quitting job to join show
Topics: Love Island, US News, Reality TV, Celebrity
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Peacock
Topics: Love Island, US News, Reality TV, Celebrity
We're just one episode in, and already, the eighth series of Love Island USA is already proving a controversial one.
Firstly, news broke that producers had pulled one contestant over their alleged use of a racial slur, and now, another cast-mate has been criticised by their local mayor for accepting a role on the show.
Sean Reifel was announced on Thursday (28 May) as one of the lucky dozen islanders set to strut into the plush Fiji villa in the coming weeks.
His profession was also made public by producers, who included a description in a teaser previously shared.
Advert
"I'm not a model, not an actor, I'm a police officer actually," Reifel confessed in the clip - a move which subsequently prompted major backlash, especially from one VIP.
The Easton, Pennsylvania star was criticised by his local Bethlehem mayor, J. William Reynolds, who called Reifel out for quitting the job he started last year in favour of appearing on the reality dating series.
Speaking to Fox 8, Reynolds argued that the city of Bethlehem had lost a viral agent, as well as considerable public investment, after leaving the position.
"Our police department spent a lot of time training, and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy," he began. "I never thought I'd see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer."
Reynolds' comments came after city officials confirmed that officers were not permitted to participate in television series, and that those who wanted to do so would be forced to fully resign from their roles.
The news comes after another contestant, Vasana Montgomery, was removed from this year's line-up after allegedly using the N-word in a series of resurfaced social media posts.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Beaverton, Oregon, influencer was seen in two damning videos which supposedly saw her using the slur, immediately sparking concern amongst fans of the show.
In one video, cited by Variety, Montgomery says a slur while playing a video game at an arcade. A second clip shows the business owner sitting in a car, rapping along to a song that contains the word in its lyrics.
The videos emerged a day after the star was announced as one of the 12 fresh-faced contestants to appear on this year's show.
A trailer released at the time showed Montgomery describing herself as the 'whole package', and telling viewers: "If you were to ask my friends what my type is, they'd show you the world map."