By TMZ | Created at 2026-07-20 22:45:55 | Updated at 2026-07-21 08:52:50
10 hours ago
'Love Island' Alum Kenny Rodriguez I Can't Be Racist, JaNa ... I Have Black Family, Exes!!!
Published July 20, 2026 3:27 PM PDT
"Love Island USA" star Kenny Rodriguez is finally addressing the racist text message controversy that erupted after his breakup with fellow star JaNa Craig.
The Season 6 star spoke about the split during a recent interview on "The Journey Podcast" where he confirmed the messages were leaked from a private chat with a friend after he and JaNa called it quits. ... saying he takes "full accountability" for what he wrote, but insists the leaked messages don't reflect who he is.
According to Kenny, one of the messages included a broad generalization that he now regrets making ... pushing back on the idea that the texts prove he's racist and pointing to his background and dating history.
Kenny puts it like this ... "I've dated Black women before. I have Black ancestry. I'm Dominican. Half of my family is dark skin. There was never a problem with race. The problem was with how you were treating me."
He claimed the messages were sent while venting to a friend after enduring what he claimed was "verbal abuse" during the relationship, saying he had stayed silent until he reached a breaking point.
Kenny admitted he "generalized" in the texts and said he's "not proud" of the comments, acknowledging they could have hurt people.
JaNa wasted no time to get her side out there ... posting a video to her Instagram story claiming Kenny had sent her a cease and desist and asked him to give her permission to post the texts so everyone can see.
The leaked texts sparked intense backlash online following Kenny and JaNa's highly publicized split, with many fans accusing the reality TV star of making racist remarks.
We broke the story ... Kenny and JaNa called it quits back in July 2025 ... and now Kenny is speaking out for the first time.
