After several weeks of cohabitation, kisses, tears, and drama common to the format, the 7th season of Love Island USA ended on July 13 with a finale that left fans both touched and divided.
The final and the results
Amaya and Bryan were declared the winners, after receiving the most votes from the American public. Nic and Olandria came in second place, Huda and Chris in third place, and Iris and Pepe in fourth place.
In an unusual twist for the finals of this format, Huda and Chris split before the winners were announced, but remained friends and ended the experience with words of gratitude for each other, making history as the first couple to split in the finals and still make it to the top 3.
After announcing the winning couple, presenter Ariana Madix offered two envelopes, one with $100,000 and one with $0, the classic test where each person must choose one envelope and see whether or not the person who finds the $100,000 will share it with their partner.
Bryan let Amaya choose first. She took the empty envelope, while Bryan found the full amount. Without hesitation, he decided to share the winnings with Amaya. So much for the spectacle. Now for the reality.
"Amaya deserved it. Bryan was lucky."; "Amaya was the heart of this season. Bryan was... present," were the most frequent thoughts about this season's victory.
Amaya Espinal, a 25-year-old nurse, entered the villa as an emotional, impulsive, sensitive and often misunderstood woman. She connected with Bryan relatively late in life and they immediately formed a relationship that for many was sincere, but for others, only out of interest on Bryan's part.
Bryan, a quiet 28-year-old, didn't evoke the same empathy. While he treated Amaya with respect, for many fans, he "didn't give as much as she did" and simply took advantage of her strong screen presence.
Reactions have been numerous on social media. In X, the most repeated comments about Bryan expressed that he was too passive and Amaya did all the work that led to the victory.
On the other hand, there were also many who saw the victory as fair. Because, perhaps for the first time in this format, a woman who was "superfluous" to the others won.
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Amaya, during her final speech, said:
"This is a message to all those who feel misunderstood: don't soften up for anyone. Someone will come along who will love you for who you are."
Bryan, on the other hand, returned the words with a more measured sensitivity:
"You are my peace in this madness. I thought I would be your refuge, but you turned out to be my refuge."
The audience was in tears. Thrilled. Even Bryan's skeptics admitted that, at least for that moment, he pulled it off.
