On ‘Rich Little Brokegirls,’ Olandria Carthen reveals why backlash from within the Black community cuts deepest — and what it says about representation.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
November 6, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Olandria Carthen called out people who demand dark-skinned Black representation but undermine women who achieve it, telling the Rich Little Brokegirls podcast, “You have it, and you tear them down.”
- The Love Island USA star said racism and double standards fueled “mean girl” accusations against her and Chelley Bissainthe after their confrontation with Huda Mustafa, while other contestants get more room for redemption.
- Despite ongoing online attacks, Carthen continues building a career beyond reality TV and advocating for education and HBCUs as her family’s first high school and college graduate.
Olandria Carthen has a question for the people who spent years demanding more dark-skinned Black women on television: Why tear them down the minute they become successful?
The Love Island USA breakout star took aim at her critics during a November 5 appearance on Kimberly Biziu’s Rich Little Brokegirls podcast, addressing the racism, double standards, and relentless online scrutiny she’s faced since becoming one of the franchise’s biggest stars. And she’s particularly frustrated with the criticism coming from within the Black community.
“For years, I’ve seen my own people say, ‘We need more representation in the media. We need more Black women, specifically more dark-skinned Black women,'” she said. “And you have it, and you tear them down. I don’t understand that. And you know how hurtful it is when it’s coming from your own?”
Olandria knows firsthand how quickly that support can disappear. During Season 7, she and fellow contestant Chelley Bissainthe faced intense backlash following the show’s “Standing on Business” challenge, when both women confronted Huda Mustafa.
The exchange led to accusations that Olandria and Chelley were “mean girls,” reigniting conversations about the way Black women are portrayed as aggressive or confrontational for behavior that other contestants can get away with.
“If I was a different color, I don’t think that would have been a big deal at all,” she said. “But the way people [get a] redemption arc or give them the chance to rebrand, I don’t really feel like there’s much room for us to do that.”
And the criticism hasn’t stopped since she left the villa. Olandria said she’s watched people turn her interviews, appearances, and even positive messages into ammunition for another round of online attacks.
“I didn’t realize the side of the internet that is very dedicated to misunderstanding you,” she explained, describing people who twist her words to fit narratives they’ve already created about her.
Behind that carefully composed public image, however, is someone who admits she struggles to show vulnerability. Raised by a single mother who worked 12-hour shifts while dealing with serious health problems, Olandria said she learned early that showing emotion could be mistaken for weakness.
“I’ve never seen my mom cry when I was a kid,” she said. “I don’t even know when to be emotional sometimes.”
Still, Olandria isn’t letting the backlash dictate her next move. The first in her family to graduate from high school and college, she’s used her post-Love Island USA platform to advocate for education and HBCUs while building a career beyond reality television.
“I’m a small-town girl from Alabama,” she said. “It could be you, too. This could be your reality, too.”
