Isabel Vella’s Love Island Australia dumping was one of the most explosive moments of the season, considering she was in a steady couple with her now boyfriend, Connor Deighton. Her choice to refuse an exit interview — which was subsequently aired at the end of the episode — raised eyebrows from fans, and she’s received a frosty reception online ever since.
Now, Isabel has taken to Instagram to respond to the backlash she’s received, saying she doesn’t want to talk about her final days in the villa because she “legally” can’t, and said it would just open up the door for more criticism.
“Whenever someone tries to tell their side of the story, people attack them for trying to ‘justify’ themselves,” she wrote in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Instagram. “In real life, I would never try to convince someone to like me, and the last thing I want is for people to think that’s the case.”
Isabel says the online trolling she’s received has affected her
Isabel added that while she’s considered spreading awareness about the “bad edit” she received, she is still personally affected by the hate that’s flooded her inbox and comments section since her time on the show.
“I honestly am still in my healing journey and too tender and tired to open myself up to the opinions of people who write hate comments to people they’ve never met! At the end of the day, people either like me, or they don’t, they see through the bullshit, or they are producer puppets and believe everything with no understanding about TV logistics.”
The Love Island Australia star added that she won’t lower herself to indulging online trolls with a reply.
“Negative people will bring you to their level. Haters want to hate, no matter what, who, when, or why, they will find a way. Like one thing to tolerate hate, hate on what I’m wearing, hate on how I look, hate on what I said, but hating on something that isn’t the truth/full story is what killed me. Especially when we’ve come so far as women to set boundaries and then were victimised again. And some of the comments are from women. It’s obviously very hurtful to see these comments made about me, and I’m just wanting to scream from the rooftops, ‘If only you knew.'”
Isabel concluded by saying that she’s trying to have thicker skin and remind herself that the opinions of strangers shouldn’t matter to her.
“At the end of the day I needed to learn that I don’t really give a f**k what they think of me, I know who I am always have, the people who were there know what happened, my friends, family and clients know who I am, and my supporters who are following my journey can obviously see straight through the bulls**t cause that’s why they’re here!”
“I’ll be moving on, focusing on the positives and all the amazing things, opportunities and most importantly, people who I left this experience with.”
Isabel claims she received a bad edit on Love Island Australia
During her AMA, Isabel was asked how producers manipulate the Islanders on Love Island Australia.
She included a screenshot of herself on the show, and wrote: ‘Not [producers] accidentally using this clip of me “smirking” when the boys were fighting TWICE in the same convo. Half of the reactions you see aren’t us reacting to what was said! This shows it’s not all you see and that’s as much as I’ll say.”
Towards the beginning of Love Island Australia, Isabel was involved in a feud with bombshells Mia and Boston, which resulted in multiple viewers labelling her a “mean girl” on social media.
At the time, Isabel took to TikTok on her business account to claim that she was getting a bad edit.
“It’s really not that deep, the edit was f**ked and upset me but I’m not gonna sit here and justify myself, we know what happened as we were there and that’s all – be kind out there y’all,” she wrote.
Stream Love Island Australia 2025 on 9Now.
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