The seventh season of "Love Island USA" reached its dramatic conclusion on July 12, 2025, delivering a finale packed with heartbreak, heated confrontations, and ultimately, a new winning couple. The competition had been whittled down to four final duos: Amaya Espinal & Bryan Arenales, Huda Mustafa & Chris Seeley, Iris Kendall & Pepe Garcia, and Olandria Carthen & Nicolas Vansteenberghe. As viewers tuned in, they were treated to a rollercoaster of emotions, with Amaya and Bryan ultimately crowned the winners, while Nic and Olandria claimed the runner-up spot.
One of the most talked-about storylines of the season was the turbulent relationship between Huda Mustafa, 24, a viral TikTok sensation known for her humorous "I'm a Mommy" moment with Nic, and Chris Seeley, 27, a professional basketball player. Their coupling followed Huda’s earlier relationship with Jeremiah Brown, who was voted off the island by the male contestants—a move Jeremiah described to People magazine as feeling like a "betrayal."
Huda and Chris’s relationship began on a seemingly strong note but soon encountered rocky terrain. Tensions surfaced notably around public displays of affection—or the lack thereof. Chris expressed frustration that Huda avoided kissing him publicly during the day, despite their intimate moments behind closed doors. He candidly told the cameras that their nighttime intimacy felt more serious than a public kiss, and he found Huda's priorities "backwards." Meanwhile, Huda was equally annoyed by Chris’s persistent questioning and what she perceived as his uncaring behavior, such as neglecting to put away her yoga mat after a session where she was busy caring for a fake baby as part of a challenge.
These conflicts culminated in an explosive fight during the finale, which aired on Peacock on July 13. The argument centered around Chris’s reluctance to cuddle with Huda in bed. In a memorable exchange, Huda said to Chris as he tried to sleep, "Hey, hello. I'm going to give you three seconds, I'm dead a. Three, two, one. Hello?" Chris replied, "I wanna get some sleep," leading Huda to retort, "Just snuggle me then. If not cuddling is worth me being upset tomorrow, that's the battle you're picking so congratulations."
Chris later confided in Bryan Arenales about the incident, explaining, "Last night bro, she was trying to be all touchy and st. You know what her first reaction was? 'You have three seconds.' I'm not going there with you. I choose sleep every time. And so I didn't talk to her for the rest of the night. She just kept poking. I shouldn't have to argue about me going to sleep." The tension was palpable as Chris prepared for a date, warning, "I'm really going to put my best foot forward. But if the same s**t happens on the date... I will crash out."
During the date, the couple attempted to address their issues. Huda acknowledged the chemistry between them but also recognized significant obstacles, saying, "There's chemistry, but then there's also things that we need to work on. I think we need to address those things so that we don't have like animosity towards one another." Chris emphasized the need for better communication and brought up Huda’s reluctance to show affection publicly and her tone during their private moments, which made him feel like "a little kid". Huda responded by expressing her desire for physical closeness, stating, "I like when a man grabs me. I'm having to pull your arms over me. It's almost every night I'm doing that. When you don't want to do it, it gives me a sense of rejection, which hurt."
Chris fired back with a sharp remark: "My mama don't talk to me like that, I'm not going to let someone I'm talking to talk to me like that." Huda conceded, "I'm not saying it was right. We both did things that were wrong. Moving forward in the outside world, there's no more time in here to figure this out. We're not exclusive. We're still getting to know each other. A lot of the things we do need are the physical aspects. I'm not sure how we'll be able to work on that if it's long distance." She then expressed her wish to "just be friends."
Chris, visibly upset, replied, "No hard feelings. I already knew. I could tell. I've been waiting for you to say it." When Huda asked if they could remain friends and hang out in the villa, Chris declined, saying he needed to "separate himself." The couple’s final moments together were strained, with Chris refusing to carry Huda across water to keep her shoes dry and choosing to sleep outside rather than in bed with her.
Earlier in the episode, a playful pillow fight took a painful turn when Chris accidentally hit Huda in the nose with a pillow. She fell onto a bed and later returned wearing a bandage, saying, "Look at what I have to wear on my face." Chris apologized, but the incident underscored the season’s recurring theme of conflict between the pair.
Despite their rocky relationship and third-place finish, Huda’s presence on the show resonated with fans. She garnered a loyal following, with one Reddit user commenting, "I just hope she wins now that I see so much hate. She made this season and she was so funny to me." Her candidness and humor provided a memorable highlight amid the drama.
Meanwhile, the winning couple, Amaya Espinal, 25, and Bryan Arenales, 28, captured hearts with their genuine connection and uplifting story. Amaya entered the villa as a bombshell in episode five, initially coupling with Ace Greene and later Austin Shepard before ultimately finding love with Bryan after a mailbox challenge revealed true feelings among the contestants. Their romance blossomed, culminating in a romantic trip to the Hideaway and a finale victory.
In her emotional victory speech, Amaya shared, "You make me believe fairytales are true because I am currently living in one with you right now. This is the end of our journey on Love Island, but the beginning of our fairytale. Cinderella finally found her perfect glass slipper." Bryan responded warmly, "You said I was the water to your fire, but you are my peace to this madness. I can't wait to continue taking steps forward together. And keep watering the seed we planted."
Runner-ups Olandria Carthen, 27, and Nicolas Vansteenberghe, 24, also enjoyed strong fan support, rounding out a season marked by intense relationships, unexpected twists, and heartfelt moments.
As "Love Island USA" season 7 closes its chapter, the stories of love found, lost, and fought for remind viewers why the show continues to captivate audiences. Whether it’s the fairy-tale romance of Amaya and Bryan or the fiery, complicated journey of Huda and Chris, the villa remains a place where real emotions play out on the grandest of stages.
