In 2021, viewers were wondering why Love Island USA season 3 star Leslie Golden left the villa unexpectedly, and she has since revealed her real reasons for exiting the show. In the past, Noah Purvis was suddenly cut from Love Island USA season 2 after his work in adult films came to the surface. And when it comes to season 3, there were quite a few casting mishaps throughout the season.

After entering the Love Island USA villa along with Wes Ogsbury, Slade Parker had to leave the show immediately due to family issues that remain unclear. The show then introduced its Casa Amor cast, including Tony Caraballo, a.k.a. Ballo. However, certain social media posts from Ballo came to the surface and were deemed problematic. As a result, Ballo was promptly cut from the show before the Casa Amor twist began. Now, Leslie is the latest islander to "disappear" from the cast suddenly.

Why Did Leslie Golden Leave Love Island USA?

Leslie took to social media after her shocking departure to explain why she left Love Island USA season 3 before the next episode that would air. The show largely dismissed her exit and offered a blink-and-you-miss-it mention that Leslie was no longer there. Leslie opened up about why she exited the series via her Instagram Stories, citing "Personal reasons" initially, and waving off any notion that there was drama between herself and other Islanders.

Weeks later, Leslie took to Instagram Stories once again to talk answer a fan question about her exit from the show. "I would love to say it. I think it's hilarious, it's a really dumb reason," she shared. "Again, very on-brand for me. However, what I did was a little illegal [laughs]." It was revealed that Leslie wound up being kicked out of Love Island USA season 3 for bringing a dab pen into the villa, which is not only against the series rules but is illegal in Hawaii, where the season was filmed.

What Has Leslie Been Up To After Love Island USA?

Leslie got more specific about her sudden Love Island USA exit after some time and then moved on from the drama. She spoke about her Love Island experience on Instagram, where she still keeps up with the show. Currently, Leslie is living in Hawaii and dating Austin Keil, an athlete who was once a member of the British Virgin Islands national rugby team. The couple shares photos and videos of themselves training at the gym often. Leslie appears to be happy with her post-Love Island USA life, soaking up the sun and spending time with her loved ones.

While Leslie was a great addition to Love Island USA season 3 with her outspoken personality and propensity to hype up the other contestants, the series moved along quickly without much recognition she'd left. While viewers were scrambling to find out more information, Leslie finally came clean and moved on from her time at Casa Amor, leaving Love Island USA in her past.

Sources: Leslie Golden/Instagram