I fear Love Island USA season 7 stars Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez have split a month after leaving the villa.
These two made it to the final four couples after having a friends-to-lovers arc, and they continued to explore their connection out in the real world. But even before we got an official breakup announcement, fans sensed that they’d gone their separate ways. There were split rumors based on Iris and Pepe’s eyebrow-raising social media activity and TikTok chatter accusing Pepe of cheating on her.
During the reunion, Iris and Pepe were still together, but there was noticeable tension. “We’ve had conversations about what dating looks like to one another,” Pepe said, “and it looks very different.” Iris emphasized, “I think you have to ask someone to be your girlfriend.” (I guess they never made it to that convo.)
So, why did Iris and Pepe break up? Did Pepe cheat on Iris? Here’s what the Love Island USA stars shared about the split in new statements.
Did Iris And Pepe Break Up? Cheating Rumors Explained
Iris And Pepe Confirm Breakup
In an August 29 statement to E! News, Iris shared, “The connection that I formed has ended, and while it isn’t how I would have imagined, I will always value the unique experience that we shared. It’s been a difficult transition, but I’m moving forward with hope, gratitude, and positivity for the future.” She didn’t offer any details and noted that she’d “hoped to keep this private.”
“Thank you for continuing to stand by me—your support means more than I can ever express,” Iris added.
On August 28, Pepe opened up about the breakup to TMZ. “It’s a tough thing when there’s a lot of eyes on you 24/7,” he said. “It’s stressful. Being in the limelight isn’t always the best thing in the world.”
In response to the cheating rumors, he commented, “I like to say, my friends and family, are the people that support me, they know who I am as a person, and that’s honesty. That’s the biggest, the most important thing.”
At the moment, Pepe’s more focused on “next opportunities” and “fun” than dating.
Why Fans Already Suspected That Iris And Pepe Split
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The weekend ahead of the finale, Iris and Pepe unfollowed each other on Instagram — a telltale breakup sign. On top of the unfollowing, Iris removed all traces of Pepe from her IG grid. Fans also pointed to Iris’ August 24 IG Story, which was a photo of a sunset set to Fleetwood Mac’s breakup anthem, “Silver Springs.” In case you need reminding, the iconic chorus features the lyrics: “Time cast a spell on you, but you won’t forget me / I know I could’ve loved you, but you would not let me / I’ll follow you down ’til the sound of my voice will haunt you / You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you.”
Still, it was confusing because they looked cozy in the reunion teaser, and on August 8, Pepe told TMZ, “We’re great, we’re great, we’re doing great.” Pepe also shared a video of himself and Iris on August 15. In the clip, he responds to a fan asking if he and Iris like each other. “Mm, depends on the day,” he jokes, adding “every day that ends in ‘y’.”
Did Pepe Cheat On Iris?
@celinechowif this is true the crowd is not surprised♬ QKThr – Aphex Twin
Pepe and Iris didn’t explicitly comment on the rumors in their statements, and there’s no evidence to confirm that Pepe cheated.
Still, fans on TikTok are convinced that he cheated because of an alleged Snapchat screenshot going around. It’s a selfie of a blonde girl claiming, “Had sex with Pepe in the hotel lobby last night and have to work with him all weekend still gonna be sick.”
We really do need a reunion part two.
