Kassandra “Kassy” Castillo was one of the single women at the Love Island villa on Day 1 of Season 5 and was drawn to one man, whom she ended up with as the season came to a close.
Things got interesting along the way for Kassy as she coupled up with fan-favorite Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen and later explored a connection with Bombshell Johnnie Garcia.
However, she eventually reunited with her top choice, Leonardo Dionicio, the guy she wanted to be with since the beginning of her journey.
The couple also reached the show’s finale, ultimately losing to show winners Hannah Wright and Marco Donatelli.
Kassy recently spoke about being “nervous” to explore her connection with Johnnie on a television show.
In addition, she revealed why she decided to reunite with Leo during Love Island USA Season 5.
Kassy said she was her ‘best self’ when coupled with Leo
While Kassy and Leo were a couple on Day 1 of Love Island USA 5, that changed by Day 5 when the men got to choose who they wanted to couple with. Leo decided to explore a potential connection with Anna Kurdys, leaving Bergie to choose Kassy.
Much like Bergie’s situation with Bombshell Carmen Kocourek, there wasn’t anything romantic between him and Kassy. However, it allowed them to stay at the villa and re-couple at another time.
That time came on Day 11 when the women received the option of which guys they wanted to couple with. Kassy took back Leo for the remainder of her season.
“I chose Leo because I thought about who I’d be really sad about if they left the villa that night. I would have been more sad about Leo leaving because I truly loved the guy in that moment. I liked the version of myself I was with Leo. I was my best self,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
Kassy also explained that her connections were “different” with Johnnie and Leo, but she “kept hanging out” with her best friend.
“I chose someone who I truly care about that I can see a future with,” she revealed.
Kassy was ‘nervous’ exploring a ‘potential’ connection with Johnnie
Kassy’s Love Island season also included exploring a “potential connection” with castmate Johnnie, one of the women who arrived at the villa on Day 17.
In speaking to EW, Kassy admitted being “nervous” as she was still “figuring out [her] feelings.”
“I found her attractive and I knew it could have been a potential connection because we were always flirting and the conversations were different than with the rest of the girls. I didn’t know how she was going to respond either, but I owed it to myself to explore any possible connections,” Kassy explained.
She said she forgot about being on TV and allowed her heart to lead her regarding the situation with Johnnie.
The two women shared a passionate kiss in Episode 31 of Season 5 after they revealed to one another that they were on the same page with exploring things beyond friendship. It ultimately led to Kassy realizing she was bisexual, which she told Johnnie during another chat.
Interestingly, Leo coupled with Johnnie on Day 21, but it didn’t last long. Johnnie was dumped from the island on Day 30, along with Kyle Darden, Destiny Davis, and Scott van-der-Sluis. That left the door open for Kassy to reunite with Leo.
In the season finale, viewers saw Kassy and Leo standing on one side of host Sarah Hyland as one of the final two couples, but in a dramatic announcement, America gave more votes to Hannah and Marco for the win.
Still, Kassy left with Leo. She confessed to EW that once they woke up at a hotel after leaving the villa, it was much nicer to have their privacy rather than everything on TV.
Whether or not she and Leo remain a couple remains to be seen, but Kassy fully believes she made the best choices for her in exploring romantic connections at the villa.
Love Island USA Season 5 episodes are available on Peacock.