The messiest drama on 'Love Island USA' isn't in the villa, it's online

Inside the villa, the contestants on “Love Island USA” unplug from the real world as they try to find their match in Fiji.

Inside the villa, the contestants on “Love Island USA” unplug from the real world as they try to find their match in Fiji.

But outside the walls of Casa Amor, the people who are vying for romance are being harassed online by the very fans who watch them obsessively on their televisions.

Each season of the dating show follows a group of singles over the course of six weeks as they race to couple up and form romantic connections, or risk getting dumped from the island. Throughout the show, the entry of new “bombshell” Islanders (what the contestants are often called) creates tension as the producers continue to insert psychological games and plot twists.

The American version, which airs on Peacock, is relatively newer compared to its U.K. counterpart — and has only recently seen a surge in popularity after last season’s standout contestants gained virality online. (NBCUniversal is the parent company of Peacock and NBC News.)

The fervent fan base has brought more viewership — but it has also unearthed the darker reality that plagues many franchise contestants when they achieve notoriety: It can come with a price. Fans have put the Islanders’ behaviors, physical appearances and political backgrounds under a microscope — leading to intensified harassment online.