During Season 5 of Love Island USA, Victor Gonzalez arrived as one of the singles who hoped to find love at the Fiji villa.
While he thought he had a connection with several women there, ultimately, things didn’t work out, and he had to leave the villa after a fan vote.
His time on the show also included some moments which truly irritated viewers, as many called out Victor for “bullying” his castmate Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen.
In Episode 10, cast members had to break a tie vote and decided to send Victor home since Bergie still wanted to explore a potential romance with Carmen Kocourek.
Following Victor’s departure, Love Island UK star Maura Higgins chatted with the polarizing cast member about his time on the show.
In comments that may or may not surprise viewers, he indicated he was “even more proud” of himself after his experience at the villa.
Victor said Love Island USA made him ‘even more proud’ of himself
“I think the whole country is sad that I’m leaving,” Victor told Maura during his exit chat since it was raining.
Maura brought up the final vote, and Victor said he realized “at the end of the day,” it’s just a competition.
“This is called Love Island, not Friendship Island,” he said, adding, “If I’m truly honest, I haven’t found any romantic connection, and I wasn’t looking forward to keeping in the house.”
He said everyone had been there for several days and hadn’t clicked with anyone he felt he could pursue a romantic relationship with.
Maura also asked Victor if he’d learned anything about himself at the Love Island USA villa.
“I think the whole experience made me even more proud of myself for who I’m trying to become,” he told her, adding, “Maybe some of the people at some points they would have changed their behavior or try to change who they are to fit in, and I think I haven’t done that at all.”
Victor said he planned to meet up with the friends he made while on the show after they exited the villa. When Maura asked which castmates, he mentioned “all the guys” and said they “all have made really good connections.”
He specifically mentioned “Leo, Marco, Keenan, and [Harrison]” but didn’t bring up Bergie’s name.
More Bombshells arrived after Victor left Love Island
Victor’s time at the villa included exploring things with Jasmine Sklavanitis and Carmen, but neither situation had enough sparks to go further romantically. While he initially seemed to hit it off with Carmen, she ended things romantically with Victor due to drama involving her, him, and Bergie.
During Victor’s exit chat with Maura, he indicated he would’ve been waiting for “someone else” if he was chosen to stay at the villa. Unfortunately for him, more Bombshells were revealed in a teaser trailer after his departure episode.
An Instagram post revealed two men and one woman joining Love Island USA 5: Kenzo, Emily, and Jonah.
It’s unknown if Victor would’ve gone for Emily, but based on the recent circumstances, many fans didn’t want him to have that chance. Meanwhile, Carmen, who he’d been coupled up with before leaving, may have quickly become unpopular after Victor’s exit due to how she put Bergie in the friend zone.
Emily, Kenzo, and Jonah join the cast in Episode 11, with several islanders still hoping to find a romantic connection. Among them are Bergie and Anna Kurdys, both of whom found themselves shut out by cast members they were interested in.
Love Island USA airs Thursdays through Tuesdays at 9/8c on Peacock.