Love Island: What Started Sarah Hyland And Mike Stark's On-Air Feud
"Love Island" is packed with backstabbing and fights. The non-stop histrionics are one of the reasons why "Love Island" is accused of being fake. Still, the host is rarely dragged into the fray. So, what about this year's "Love Island" USA season? What started Sarah Hyland and Mike Stark's on-air feud?
Hyland found herself at the center of the "Love Island" drama during the August 18 episode of the CBS hit. The "Modern Family" star had arrived at the contestant's luxurious villa to give the results of the latest elimination ceremony. She announced that it was Kennan Anunay's time to wheel his suitcase out of the gate and disappear from "Love Island."
Anunay's love match, Vickala Gray, was heartbroken by the news and voluntarily announced that she would leave with her man. The contestants were left shocked. Anunay and Gray were popular among their fellow cast and would be missed. Stark was standing among the unlucky lads facing eviction that week. Although he was relieved he wouldn't be heading home, Stark wasn't happy that his close friend would be leaving, along with his girl. His blood began to boil, and tensions spilled over onto the unwitting Hyland. Before you knew it, there was a full-blown feud underway. So, what was the feud about? What started it?
The Hyland Mike face-off
Sarah Hyland and Mark Stark's on-air feud left contestants and fans gasping in shock and bewilderment. When she told Kennan Anunay to pack his bags, his love match, Vickala Gray, told Anunay she couldn't stay without him, and despite his hushed protests, encouraging her to remain, Gray determined she would be waving goodbye along with him.
"Before you go anywhere, I want to make sure that you are absolutely happy with your decision," Hyland told Gray. "No regrets," she assured her. Stark was troubled by the news but appeared mainly concerned with Hyland questioning Gray about her decision to leave. He verbally lashed out, accusing Hyland of sounding "mad disrespectful." A brief back and forth between the two ensured, ending with Hyland dismissing the issue as "Boys will be boys."
Twitter was ablaze as fans quickly jumped to the star's defense. "Sarah Hyland is bigger than me because I couldn't have stopped myself from making a smart-a** comment at Mike getting dumped after he chirped at me," one wrote. "Mike calling Sarah Hyland disrespectful for doing her job is crazy. The way these men have been talking to her this season is not it. That would not fly [on the UK version of the show]. Peacock should kick them off just for that," another fan opined.
Island under fire
There was a collective "huh?" when Mike Stark accused Sarah Hyland of being disrespectful. Still, it's not just Stark being called out for his bad behavior. A Reddit "Love Island" USA thread slams many of the men for their toxic masculinity and poor treatment of women. Victor Gonzales' time in the villa was short and definitely not sweet. Per TV Guide, the Spanish wrestler with a roving eye was ousted in episode 5 of Season 10.
However, Victor made a lasting impression. "He definitely had me fooled with the whole humble, nice-guy act for the first week," one user wrote. "Bullying Carmen about her boundaries, bullying Bergie about, I don't even know, some 'bro code' bullsh*t," another agreed. "He's also constantly making snide comments about how he's bigger than all the other guys. Dude is a walking example of toxic masculinity."
Meanwhile, it's not just the male "Love Island" US cast battling accusations of toxic bad behavior. According to People, two former staffers have filed an explosive lawsuit against ITV and NBC Universal. In their court documents, Jasmine Crestwell and Alex Rink allege that the show's producers hired crew members who engaged in "racism and abusive practices" and "[pressuring] female Islanders to engage in sexual relationships without regard for their personal preferences or genuine consent."