AS Love Island USA’s stars return for the reunion, fans are wondering: who’s really in it for good?
A relationship expert and fan of the reality show has revealed which pairs she sees making it long-term — and which she thinks have already split.
This season of Love Island USA was the number-one reality series nationally across all streaming platforms.
And fans who tuned in are still captivated by the couple’s stories.
Sex and relationship coach Leah Carey, who hosts the podcast Good Girls Talk About Sex, is one of them.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, she revealed which couples she thinks will stand the test of time, which have a steep hill to climb, and which could have already called it quits after spending time in the Fiji villa.
She admitted that she was “avidly watching Love Island USA” this season like most of the world and is “on pins and needles” waiting for the reunion special to air on August 19.
The likelihood of couples who meet on reality television lasting isn’t impossible — but it does pose some challenges.
“We’ve seen plenty of couples come off reality TV and last for five years or more. What matters most is how they navigate this period of transition,” Carey told The U.S. Sun.
She compared the whirlwind experience to The Bachelor.
“After the cameras stop rolling is the first time they really get to know each other because their time has been infrequent and created by producers,” she explained.
“On a show like Love Island, they’ve had a lot of time to get to know each other, but it’s an isolated environment.
“They don’t have to cope with work, family, friends, and the stress of day-to-day life.”
In addition, Carey said, the couples “know exactly where the threats to their relationship are” because they have been tested.
An example would be Aaron Evins’ relationship with 22-year-old Daniella Ortiz Rivera in Casa Amor, while Pittsburg native Kaylor Martin stayed loyal to him in the OG villa.
Ultimately, the couple landed in the bottom two because they received the lowest votes right before the finale and were “dumped” from the island in episode 34.
Kaylor, 22, was heavily criticized on social media for how quickly she took Aaron, 27, back after he stepped out of their relationship and has since reflected on her behavior.
Once they’re away from the cameras, the couples have to see if the initial connection works in the real world.
“For the reunion, I think Kaylor and Aaron are a toss-up,” Carey said.
“She’s been making digs at him publicly, so either she is punishing him while she has one foot out the door, or she’s already done.”
When asked who was the “least compatible,” she had a short and blunt response.
“Kaylor and Aaron. Enough said,” she declared.
The relationship expert thinks Kaylor is already “one foot out the door,” shown by her coy responses in her The Viall Files interview.
She also laughed with Dave Portnoy in a dual interview with Aaron, while the host ripped apart Aaron and their relationship on Barstool’s BFFs podcast.
“My guess is that she’ll prioritize her public image and announce they are broken up. But she may try to put on a brave face, while also taking a lot of digs at him,” Carey said.
Kendall Washington, 27, and Nicole Jacky, 26, seem to have been pretty distant since placing fourth.
Throughout the season, Kendall was constantly painted as “the good guy,” but Carey thinks that will eventually be a problem for Nicole.
“Him cheering on the boys at Casa is a glimpse into how that behavior manifests,” she said.
Kendall egged on both Aaron and Kordell’s infelicitous behavior while at Casa Amor, instead of supporting his female “friends” who were back at the villa.
“When he’s with the boys, he wants to be their favorite bro. When he’s with the girls, he wants to be their dearest confidante,” she explained.
After being scolded by the women and Nicole, Kendall presented the female Island with a homemade breakfast and apologies.
“When those two things came into conflict, he sided with whoever was sitting next to him at the moment,” Carey said
“Unfortunately, men who perform this level of ‘good guy’-ness often end up making terrible decisions.”
“Then women like Nicole are hurt even more deeply because they believed the ‘good guy’ facade and never saw it coming.”
Although Kaylor and Aaron are not winning a couple of the year in Carey’s eyes, she thinks all the others will present a strong front — but there are two who may make it to the finish line.
Despite their rocky start, she believes Serena Page, 24, and Kordell Beckham,22, seem to have complementary relationship styles.
Kordell’s brother is also the famous NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., who recently dated Kim Kardashian.
“A year from now, my guess is that everyone will have broken up except Serena and Kordell,” Carey said.
The way that Serena and Kordell have navigated challenges already gives Carey hope that they will be a strong couple for the foreseeable future.
Serena struggled with commitment at first, but Kordell was all-in at the start.
She received a lot of negativity for “friend-zoning” Kordell and then deciding she wanted to be with him, but Carey she demonstrated an excellent understanding of comfort and boundaries.
She wasn’t ready to engage with him on an intimate level yet, so she didn’t string him along.
At the point that she realized her feelings had become more intimate, she let him know.
After his attention strayed while at Casa Amor and he brought back 27-year-old Daia to the villa, Serena made her feelings known, standards high, and boundaries up.
Carey admitted that Serena throwing a breakfast dish back at him wasn’t the most mature action, but she was allowing herself to feel her anger, which was a healthy response.
The duo captured the hearts of each other and America as the Love Island USA Season 6 champions.
It’s possible that JaNa Craig, 27, and Kenny Rodriquez, 24, could make it to the one-year mark, but Carey admitted “that would be a pleasant surprise” for her.
“These two are adorable together, but I see them as having filled each other’s needs in the Villa. I imagine that outside the Villa they’ll discover they have different needs and desires and move on,” she said.
Since their exit from the villa, the pair have been consistently showing their commitment to each other on social media and in public.
They also announced their official relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend with a loved-dovey post on Jana’s Instagram.
Carey added that she has her “fingers crossed” that it will be a cordial split.
When bombshell Miguel Harichi, 27, from London, England entered the villa, he was a hot commodity.
But one woman stood out and he and Calabasas, California resident Leah Kateb, 24, clinched second place.
“I believe them when they say they want to be in each other’s lives forever, but neither of them seems ready to settle down,” Carey said.
She said it especially won’t work “in a long-distance relationship when they both appear to have very high sex drives.”
“Leah and Miguel live on different continents, so one challenge they’ll have to contend with is significant time differences,” she said.
After leaving the villa, Leah’s fame skyrocketed, with her 13,000 Instagram followers bumping up to millions.
The podcast host added that the “caveat” would be if they decide to pursue a non-monogamous relationship.
“That way they could maintain their connection while also having partners who can fill their more immediate needs,” she explained.
Carey advised them to have a conversation about how much contact they need, of what type, and at what frequency to maintain their bond.
If Leah needs to talk each day to feel stable and secure but Miguel prefers to talk on the phone once or twice a week, she said they need to communicate that early on.
If not, “one or the other of them is likely to feel resentful no matter what type of compromise they make.”
Some of the actions that were unhealthy on the show included being unfaithful, pursuing other interests, and holding back from sharing feelings to avoid hurting another person.
“I recognize that the show encourages some of this behavior by suggesting that couples try out meeting a lot of new people to see who they have a connection with,” Carey said.
That is exactly why she said she didn’t fault the individuals who chose to do so.
Carey said there were multiple times when Aaron displayed an inability to take accountability for his actions and offer a true apology.
“That’s what distinguishes him from Kordell, who made a full apology and understood that he needed to make amends,” she added.
“Aaron made a non-specific apology then got angry any time his behavior was brought up later.”
She doesn’t think Aaron is malicious, but he is “definitely immature.”
Although it was Kendall who demonstrated “poor social awareness,” Carey expressed concern that Nicole seemed to brush off his behaviors as though it was nothing.
“That type of disrespectful behavior always comes home to roost at some point,” she added.
“Nicole will be on the receiving end of that disrespect — and probably sooner than later.”
The first few months off of the show are expected to be the most challenging because it will be a big transition from spending every single day with a person to being long-distance.
“Long-distance couples need to begin on a foundation of deep trust, which is why Kaylor and Aaron are unlikely to make it more than a month or two,” Carey said
“Honoring their true needs, rather than making agreements that make the other person happy but they can’t maintain, is key to making this type of relationship work.”
