‘Love Island USA’ Producers Sued for Contestant Mistreatment and Violation of California Labor Laws

Uh-oh. It seems as though Love Island USA is in for even more drama off-screen than it features on-screen for its viewers.

A lawsuit has been filed against the show’s producers, ITV and NBCUniversal, alleging mistreatment of the contestants and violation of California’s employment laws, per People.

The outlet revealed that Jasmine Crestwell and Alex Rinks, the villa’s producers, claim that the original UK’s series’ producers, who previously had a history of “racism and abusive practices,” were hired to improve ratings, as the US spinoff has never done as well as its counterpart across the pond. Crestwell and Rinks believe their mistreatment negatively influencing the mental health of the “Islanders” (the contestants on the show).

The complaint filed by Crestwell and Rinks said that producers “pressured female Islanders to engage in sexual relationships without regard for their personal preferences or genuine consent,” or in other words, “flippant with the concept of sexual consent.”

The filing also stated that  producers “openly commented on video feeds of female Islanders showering and having sex, creating a deeply uncomfortable work environment for women on set.”

According to the lawsuit, Sereniti Springs, one of the Islanders from Season 4 who was “one of the few women of color on the show,” was reportedly treated differently than her fellow contestants.

Although Crestwell complained this, executive producer Sophie Bush supposedly denied her reasoning, and responded as follows: “We are protecting her because we know none of the boys on the show like her, and we would hate to see her get rejected.”

The filing continues with other complaints, including “unsafe and unsanitary conditions in the show’s supposedly luxe ‘villa,'” which they deemed realistically as a “ramshackle, dilapidated ranch with inadequate plumbing and inoperable bathrooms.”

A meeting was scheduled for Crestwell and Rinks to air their grievances in a “safe space,” but the two were fired after expressing their concerns, and felt the whole meeting was a scam.

The show that many have come to know and love revolves around contestants coupling up in a resort-like villa and living together. Each week, both Islanders and fans vote, prompting eliminations and an ultimately victorious couple who have the chance to take home $100,000.

A spokesperson for ITV America told People that this is a “frivolous attack at an opportunistic moment, timed to the Season 5 debut, made by two former employees who were terminated for cause, purely in relation to their job performance.”

While the spokesperson also deemed every claim as “false” and defended “Love Island USA’s commitment to diversity,” they also shared that they “look forward to defending against these claims in a court of law.”

The fifth season of Love Island USA airs is airing on Peacock on a near-nightly basis.