Huda Beauty Drops Love Island Star After Racism Controversy
Huda Beauty has ended its partnership with “Love Island USA” Season 7 contestant Huda Mustafa following a recent racism controversy.
The cosmetics brand addressed the situation in an Instagram post on October 31, stating that one of their “recent collaborators” had shown behavior that “does not align with our values.”
The controversy began when a clip from a livestream featuring Mustafa and her partner Louis Russell, known from Netflix shows “Too Hot To Handle” and “Perfect Match,” went viral. During the stream, an unknown caller used a racial slur aimed at Mustafa’s “Love Island” costar and model Olandria Carthen.
Video shared by TMZ showed the pair reacting with surprise and laughing before ending the call, with Russell saying, “Whoa, hey, hey.”
Olandria issues statement addressing video of a fan calling her the N-word during Huda and Louis’ stream. pic.twitter.com/odoWg1wilU
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 29, 2025
Huda Beauty said in their statement, “We are truly disappointed by Huda Mustafa’s recent live and we take all forms of racism very seriously. While we don’t believe her actions reflect her character, we found them deeply upsetting.”
The brand added that the partnership would be terminated and related content removed from social media and in-store displays. “Accountability is incredibly important in moments like this, and we hope that meaningful change can come from it,” the company said.
Carthen also spoke out on Instagram on October 29, condemning the language used in the livestream. “Words like that carry generations of pain, and pretending otherwise only keeps the cycle going,” she said. She emphasized that she does not condone racism “not in anger, not as a joke, not ever,” and called for accountability and awareness. Carthen announced she would personally donate to organizations supporting the Black community, including UNCF, NAACP, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, encouraging others to do the same.
The incident isn’t the first time Carthen expressed disappointment in Mustafa. During the Season 7 reunion in August, Carthen criticized Mustafa for not addressing racist behavior from her fans toward Carthen and fellow castmate Chelley Bissainthe. Mustafa initially posted a brief apology but later shared a longer statement acknowledging her failure to fully take responsibility.
“Olandria – it is now clear that this comment was targeted at you, and I apologize for my immediate reaction. My reaction in that moment came from being caught off guard, not from finding the word or situation funny. It was a nervous, uncomfortable reaction that I recognize was inappropriate,” Mustafa wrote.
She added that she does not tolerate racist language and would personally donate to the NAACP, urging others to contribute as well.
This controversy highlights ongoing conversations about accountability and racism in entertainment and social media spaces. It also shows how public figures and brands are being held responsible for their actions and the environments they create online.
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