‘Love Island USA’s Chelley and Olandria Call Out the Racist Undertone of the Mean Girl Narrative

Olandria Carthen and Chelley Bissainthe are pushing back against the “mean girl” label that trended after Love Island USA Season 7, arguing the harsh online backlash stemmed partly from double standards and racial bias rather than their actual behavior. In this article, Olandria explains how the stereotype didn’t match how castmates experienced her in the villa, how it felt to be mischaracterized online, and why she believes Black women are judged differently in reality TV.