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The much-anticipated Love Island USA Season 6 reunion aired on August 19, 2024. It brought the Islanders back together one last time to talk about their time in the villa and beyond. Fans were confused by one notable absence: former Islander Caine Bacon, who had gotten a lot of attention during the season.
Many people were surprised when Bacon previously told them that he had been kicked out of the reunion after interacting with fans and writing about his trip to New York City for the event. Fans and the media had been trying to figure out why he was not seen after that, which led to a lot of speculation and controversy.
In response to a fan's question about the Love Island USA reunion's cancellation, he wrote in a comment on TikTok (August 11):
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"It isn't, I mean I've been cancelled from it."
In another comment on August 13, he mentioned:
“I’m sad about how things have turned out, but you know, we’ll move on from all this and keep it moving.”
The controversy behind Caine Bacon’s exclusion in Love Island USA reunion
There had been a lot of talk about why Caine Bacon wasn't invited to the Love Island USA Season 6 reunion. Many people thought it was because of a controversial TikTok video. Before the reunion, Bacon shared several videos on the platform in which his co-star Aaron Evans was featured.
In one of those videos (now deleted), Bacon and Evans were seen having fun at a Korean restaurant. During their celebration, Bacon said some things that many viewers found offensive. One of these comments was a playful but misguided twist on the phrase 'Chin chin.'
Bacon changed it by adding a 'G' to the end and laughing, which many people saw as purposely being rude. He also pronounced the restaurant's name wrong (Nangman BBQ) and made references to the popular PSY song Gangnam Style, which were seen as insults to Korean culture.
Bacon seemingly made fun of chopsticks and used the phrase 'Love you long time' from the movie Full Metal Jacket, a remark which was criticized because it fetishized Asian women. These actions led to a lot of backlash and probably played a part in his removal from the reunion lineup.
Bacon's reaction and aftermath about Love Island USA reunion
When asked about his absence, Bacon said on social media that he had been 'canceled' from the reunion of Love Island USA because of the controversy. The casual tone of his announcement, which was accompanied by 'lol,' received mixed reactions. While some fans praised him, others pointed out his lack of regret.
Bacon previously talked about his time on the show, saying that the edits he got didn't show his true personality on his Instagram story. His social media activity after the show continued to spark debates. It's possible that the show's producers didn't want to stir up more trouble by inviting Bacon to the reunion because of the sensitive nature of his video comments.
The reunion episode of Love Island USA is streaming on Peacock.
