Love Island alum Maura Higgins recently spoke out about a traumatic incident that happened six years ago involving a taxi driver. Maura was born in Ballymahon, County Longford, Ireland, and first gained prominence as a contestant on the fifth season of Love Island in 2019.
Maura shared her experience during an episode of the We Need To Talk podcast on October 29, 2024. She recalled going back home in a taxi after a night out with a group of friends. Maura sat down in the front seat while the rest of her friends were in the back.
The Love Island star was the last one to be dropped off among her friends and during the long way back home she fell asleep in the front seat. She recalled having a short dress on and waking up to find the taxi driver's hand up her skirt.
“I did not say anything because I thought if I say something he could genuinely knock me out. I was just thinking the worst," said Maura.
She feared at the time that things could have gotten worse and further stated:
"The whole way back I was thinking he was going to pull over. I remember getting out at my house and I could not get the key in the door. I was shaking that much,” revealed Maura.
Love Island alum Maura Higgins regrets not reporting the driver
Shaken by the experience, Maura Higgins was relieved to reach her home but struggled to process her emotions. Concerned that the driver knew her address, she hesitated to file a report, fearing retaliation from the taxi driver. Years later, Maura acknowledged that her decision to stay quiet remained a lingering regret.
“I should have because, you know, he could do that again. I do regret not reporting him, he could do that to so many more women. But I was scared,” stated Maura.
Maura Higgins refused Love Island appearance due to cheating ex-boyfriend
When the host of the podcast, Paul Carrick Brunson, asked Maura if she was dating anyone, the reality star replied with a resounding no. She revealed that recently she was dating someone who cheated on her multiple times. Season 6 of Love Island USA had its weekly talk show, Aftersun, which Maura Higgins hosted.
In the podcast, Maura revealed that the Love Island producers asked her to come back on the show while she was dating her ex. She refused the offer because she "really, really liked this guy" and was happy with her relationship. This still sparked a desire to check her partner's phone. Maura confided that she felt bad doing so at the time but is now glad to have done so.
She found "more stuff" than she ever thought to see as it was revealed that her ex was talking to multiple women romantically. Maura later decided not to confront her ex about the same and called her friend in Ireland to open up to her. When her friend suggested confronting her ex, Maura Higgins expressed that confronting him would have been too easy.
She was living with her ex in Los Angeles and decided to stay in his house for a few more days. When he left for the gym, Maura called Love Island producers and agreed to do the show. She continued to talk to him even while filming the promotional material for the show. Maura agreed that this behavior sounded psychotic but it was her way of dealing with the situation.
The Love Island producers asked Maura Higgins to disclose the situation to her cheating partner as her appearance on the show would have been affected by it. This prompted the reality star to call her partner and break up with him.