It was not happily ever after for “Love Island USA” Season 7 winners Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales after all.
The pair was voted as America's forite, emerging victorious and receiving the $100,000 cash prize. They then left the villa as a couple, with fans hoping they'd make it in the real world.
Unfortunately, over a month after the Season 7 finale and two days after the reunion special aired, Amaya and Bryan confirmed that they had broken up.
All seemed well with the winning couple, who, in an interview with TODAY.com soon after the finale, emphasized their relationship's authenticity.
“Honestly, I’m so happy to be here with her. Trust me, it’s real,” Bryan said at the time.
“I’m also a bad actress and a bad liar — I think people would be able to catch on quickly,” Amaya chimed in. “I’m like, I need Botox after this, he makes me smile this much.”
However, breakup rumors circulated and reached a fever pitch ahead of the “Love Island USA” Season 7 Reunion.
Both Amaya and Bryan unfollowed each other on Instagram, adding fuel to split speculation that first surfaced earlier this summer.
The rumors began swirling when Bryan was allegedly spotted with another woman at a nightclub just days after the couple left the villa together.
At the time, the pair seemed to shut down the chatter with a romantic TikTok posted to Bryan’s account. “When everyone thinks you’re over meanwhile this is us,” read the caption, accompanying footage of the couple gazing into each other’s eyes before Amaya leaped into Bryan’s arms.
Bryan addressed the rumors during the reunion special. Here's what to know.
What Happened Between Amaya and Bryan on ‘Love Island USA’?Amaya’s journey to find love in Fiji was far from straightforward.
Entering the villa as a bombshell on Episode 4 alongside Hannah Fields, Amaya originally coupled up with Ace Greene.
While there seemed to be a spark between the pair at first, Ace quickly switched up on Amaya, citing her usage of nicknames (particularly “babe”) and physical touch as too much, too soon.
From there, Amaya found more connections and obstacles. She coupled up with Austin Shepard on Episode 14, but he, like Ace, began to distance himself from Amaya.
The couple split up when Casa Amor happened on Episode 19, leing them both single and open to exploring new connections.
Bryan came into the show as a bombshell in Casa Amor, the biggest relationship test of every “Love Island” season. This is where either the men or the women from the main villa are secretly whisked away to a second villa nearby, where they get to meet a group of other singles hoping to find love in Fiji.
In Casa Amor, Bryan quickly hit it off with Andreina. Amaya, meanwhile, was striking up a connection with Zak Srakaew, who also came into the show during Casa Amor. They ultimately coupled up and remained a couple as they went back to the main villa.
However, Zak blindsided Amaya during the “Stand on Business” challenge and gang up on her alongside Austin and Ace, which led to Amaya exploring new connections and hitting it off with Bryan.
Wait, What Happened During the ‘Stand on Business’ Challenge?During the “Stand on Business” challenge in Episode 26, Amaya was confronted by all three men she had previously been coupled up with: Ace, Austin and Zak.
As Amaya stood in front of her peers, she read cards that had been written about her — specifically about her emotions and how she expressed herself in her relationships.
“You cry more than needed. You try to move too fast for everyone,” Austin wrote on a card that Amaya had to read in front of the entire villa.
“God forbid I’m a sensitive gangsta,” Amaya replied (a phrase that became one of her signature one-liners).
“I would just he to say that many people could view this as a weakness, but to me personally, after everything I’ve been through in my life, I view it as a strength,” she continued. “So if you guys view it like that, then guess what. I’m just not your cup of tea to be drinking, so don’t f------ drink it.”
Austin admitted to writing the card, explaining that after they initially coupled up, “the intensity of your emotions and feelings and wants just felt like they built way up.”
Ace and Zak decided to join Austin and gang up on Amaya in front of everyone. But what could he been Amaya’s lowest point in the villa actually became a silver lining, as this is where her and Bryan’s story began.
“One thing I got to add though,” Bryan interjected that night. “Coming from a Hispanic household, calling someone ‘Babe,’ ‘Mi amor,’ ‘Mi vida,’ that’s just how we talk. You’re telling her meet you halfway, you got to meet her halfway, too.”
The following day, Amaya and Bryan had a chat and started to get to know one another. Bryan not only understood Amaya, but he loved the way she expressed herself.
The pair coupled up on Episode 30, and America eventually voted to send them to the Season 7 finale. Viewers got to see their final date and declarations of love, the loving speeches all the final couples give to one another right before the winners are announced.
During their first and final date, Amaya expressed her appreciation for Bryan, especially for how he spoke on her behalf during the “Stand on Business” challenge.
“Babe, you don’t understand how much it meant, that moment, of you standing up for me in the Stand on Business,” she told him. “You know, like, if my light is too bright for somebody, wear sunglasses or something.”
“But with you, you looked right into the sun, you know?” she continued.
Bryan “popped the question,” as Amaya put it in her confessional later in the episode, to continue exclusively dating each other when they left Fiji.
“I just wanted to talk to you and just basically let you know how much I care about you and how much you mean to me here,” he said.
“And I love your energy, I love when you get the zoomies ... Just making everybody’s day better. Fine as hell ... I definitely wanted to lee here letting you know that I want to make stuff exclusive with us and prioritize us. I want to continue taking the right steps with you and attacking the outside world with you.”
Are Amaya and Bryan Still Together Now?No, Amaya and Bryan are not together anymore.
The couple publicly confirmed their exclusive relationship after leing the villa and during a profile with TODAY.com, which was published on Aug. 20. At the time, Amaya said she visited Bryan's family in Boston.
“I had such a great time, met his mom — it was just very wholesome,” Amaya said.
But their decision to unfollow each other on Instagram signaled serious trouble in paradise. Adding to the breakup speculation, Amaya reposted a cryptic TikTok video the same day fans noticed the social media snub.
The video says, “How it feels when you know you he to lee him alone,” over pictures of girls crying, alone, or looking forlornly. The caption features a few hashtags, including “#ex,” “#sad,” and “#imissyou.”
On Aug. 27, Amaya confirmed that she and Bryan were “no longer together.”
Amaya confirmed she and Bryan he broken up. Instagram/Amaya“After leing the villa, it became clear that we were on two different journeys. Our visions didn’t align and relationships are suppose to be a team sport,” she wrote. “You don’t he to drink the whole sea to know it’s salty.”
“All the love here and I truly wish him the best,” she wrote, signing off, “Amaya Papaya.”
Bryan also posted his own statement on his Instagram story, beginning, “As many of you already know. Amaya and I he decided to go our separate ways. Unfortunately, we were not on the same page and that is Okay.”
Bryan shares his statement regarding his and Amaya's break up hours later. Instagram/Bryan“We he both gained clarity that we are on different paths right now,” he continued, adding he was “thankful” for the time they spent together “and I wish her nothing but the best moving forward.”
During the reunion, which was taped on Aug. 12 and aired Aug. 25, Bryan spoke about the cheating allegations.
“I got paid to be there... I had a lapse in judgment. We’ve talked about it,” he said, before clarifying that he was, “Pouring shots around, giving the crowd shots and stuff like that.”
At the time, Amaya said, “I’m not a woman that would be with someone who doesn’t respect me,” and appeared to still be a couple.