Love Island's Gabriel Garland has broken his silence following his removal from the dating show last week. The model entered the villa as one of the six Casa Amor boys but was asked to leave after just a few hours.
The news of Gabriel's exit was announced by ITV, with a spokesperson for Love Island confirming he would not be returning. They added that they would "not be commenting further out of a duty of care towards participants" and did not provide any further explanation.
Gabriel's departure was quickly noticed by eagle-eyed viewers, as he was edited out of the Casa Amor footage. Fans questioned if his exit was due to a 2019 legal matter he was reportedly linked to, though he was never charged with any offence.
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Now, Gabriel has taken to social media to share his side of the story in a bid to "clear a few things up". He posted an Instagram video addressing the speculation surrounding the "incident" and his "disappointing" removal from the villa.
"It is a shame that I'm making this video, but after everything that's been said about me over the past couple days, I just wanted to clear a few things up," he began.
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"There was an incident that happened at a party I was at when I was a teenager. This incident is obviously one that should not be taken lightly, and was very traumatic for everyone concerned.
"I just wanted to make it clear that the legal judge has found no wrongdoing against me, and I don't have a criminal record. This has obviously resulted in me leaving Love Island, which is very disappointing, especially from a personal perspective."
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Though his time on the show was brief, Gabriel shared that he had been "forming a really, really strong connection" in the villa, which viewers "didn't get to see", adding that it was a "sad" situation.
"I just wanted to tell you guys this directly instead of having headlines say it for me, and thank people for sending me kind and supportive messages, it really means a lot," he concluded, expressing his desire to "move forward from this in a positive way".
Love Island airs from 9pm on ITV2 and streams on ITVX.
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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
