CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses racism.
Buzzfeed’s Tasty and influencer Adelaine Morin have found themselves at the centre of a social media storm after separate controversies involving Love Island USA contestant Michelle “Chelley” Bissainthe. Both have been called out for content that viewers say crossed the line from cheeky banter to something much more “disturbing” and racially charged.
The Buzzfeed Tasty x Chelley controversy
On 9 July, Buzzfeed’s Tasty posted an Instagram carousel titled “What I Think Each Love Island Girl Deserves for Breakfast”.
Each Love Island USA contestant was paired with a playful breakfast item — until it came to Chelley. Her “breakfast” included fruit, Goldfish crackers, and a “knuckle sandwich” depicted as a white fist between two slices of bread.
Viewers were quick to slam the image as violent and racially insensitive. Chelley’s social media team released a statement accusing Buzzfeed of promoting “a subtle yet present message of domestic violence through imagery infused with anti-Blackness and misogyny”.
They pointed out that, on the show, it’s the men who make breakfast for the women, making the “knuckle sandwich” reference even more unsettling.
“The slide dedicated to Chelley was not breakfast but violence. Specifically, hinting at domestic violence,” Chelley’s account stated.
“Why? How? They created a graphic and edited a ‘knuckle sandwich’ on a plate. So, I ask you a pressing question…‘Who makes breakfast for the Islanders?’ The answer is the men; they make breakfast for the women.
“Hence, the message of domestic violence is subtle yet present when we use our critical thinking and reasoning skills, especially in the field of journalism and media. It is not only disturbing, disgusting, and unacceptable. It is the harsh reality that implicit biases can be rooted in anti-blackness, misogyny, prejudice, violence, etc.
“Team Chelley will not tolerate this level of disrespect, anti-Blackness, prejudice, and misogyny. We will not accept a narrative in which Chelley deserves violence.”
While Chelley herself didn’t see the post — she’s still filming in Fiji — her family did, and the internet quickly rallied in support. After a flood of criticism, Buzzfeed deleted the post and issued a public apology, admitting the “knuckle sandwich” joke “missed the mark” and “landed with racial undertones” they failed to catch. Tasty later promised to “ensure this doesn’t happen again”, but their follow-up apology was also deleted after fans found it lacked accountability .
Adelaine Morin’s Love Island USA punching bag video
Not long after, influencer Adelaine Morin was also slammed for a video where she and a friend pretended to punch a bag while calling it “Chelley” and “Olandria [Carthen]” — another Black contestant. The clip, shared to her social media, left many Love Island fans deeply disappointed and shocked that Adelaine would joke about violence against Black women.
One X user wrote, “Adelaine Morin she must need that? You thought it was funny to upload a video of you in a boxing class punching a bag calling it Chelley and Olandria. You think violence against black women is funny??????”
Another said, “Why were you joking about hitting Olandria and Chelley????? You’re a nasty spirited individual.”
Some fans even called for Adelaine to be dropped by her brand partners, including Maybelline, Fenty, and White Fox Boutique.
Adelaine later apologised on her Instagram story, saying: “Olandria and Chelley grew on me over the past couple episodes. When I was punching the punching bag saying their name it was a joke because it was right after the mail episode when they ganged up on Huda [Mustafa]. I definitely didn’t intend to incite any kind of violence or negativity.”
She continued, “Everyone on the show is putting their lives out there, and they absolutely deserve respect even when we’re reacting as fans. I’m a huge fan of the show, and I got a little too into the drama. That’s on me. I’m sorry to anyone I offended. And as Amaya [Espinal] Papaya says… I never said that I was perfect. I never said I didn’t have any flaws.”
Many fans were unconvinced by Adelaine’s apology. One user wrote on her Instagram, “No ma’am. That was not an apology. You couldn’t even have the balls to post a video on your actual page. You had to make a story that will disappear in 24 hours. You didnt take any accountability whatsoever.”
Another said, “You saying they ‘ganged up’ on Huda is still a micro-aggression. So your aPoLoGy if you would even call it that, did NOTHING.”
Calls for change and broader concerns
This isn’t the first time Love Island USA has come under fire this season. Contestant Cierra Ortega was recently removed from the show after old posts resurfaced where she used an anti-Asian slur. Ortega apologised in a video, saying she was “deeply, truly, honestly so sorry” to the Asian community.
Meanwhile, TikToker Kiera Breaugh called out the show for not doing enough to protect Black women, especially after a meme circulated referencing George Floyd’s murder using images of contestants Huda and Olandria.
Kiera said, “We need to protect these black women that are on the show making it to the end. Like, it’s so crazy that they’re just letting them fly unprotected. I personally think a statement might need to be made, because it is definitely getting out of hand.”
Another X user echoed the outrage, saying, “That edit with Olandria edited over George Floyd, and Huda being the one to murder her… yeah they need to cancel this show because you people are not fucking well.”
Where to from here?
These incidents have sparked a bigger conversation about the treatment of Black women in reality TV and the responsibilities of brands and influencers. Fans are calling for more accountability, better editorial oversight, and, most importantly, more respect for the contestants — on and off the screen.
For now, both Buzzfeed and Adelaine Morin have apologised, but the conversation about race, violence, and media responsibility is far from over.
Lead image: Instagram / Love Island USA
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