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'Love Island USA' Season 7: The biggest news the cast missed while in the villa


While the contestants on "Love Island USA" form romantic connections in the Fijian villa, they are not aware of the happenings in the outside world.

The first episode of Season 7 of Peacock's popular reality dating series premiered on June 3 and since then, the remaining cast members have not had access to their personal phones, a proper clock, social media, or television. They will exit the villa following the finale slated for Sunday, July 13.

Here is a round-up of news and pop culture moments that have occurred since the islanders entered the villa.

'Cowboy Carter' tour viral moments

Beyoncé may have kicked off her nine-city "Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour" in late April, but some of the most viral moments from the show occurred while they were in the villa.

During Bey's shows in Paris, she surprised fans with an epic duet with Miley Cyrus, performing their hit, "II Most Wanted." She also stunned the crowd when she brought out Jay Z during night 3. The duo performed "Crazy in Love," "Drunk in Love," and the hip hop giant hyped the audience with "N***as in Paris."

At her first date in Houston, Beyoncé powered through a major technical difficulty when her red car started tilting mid-air while she was singing "16 Carriages." The "American Requiem" singer ultimately told her crew to stop before they lowered her down. She later joked with the crowd, “if I ever fall, I know y’all will catch me,” and poked more fun at the incident in an Instagram post by sharing a video montage with the song "Sittin' Sidewayz."

The final season of Netflix's 'Squid Game'

On June 27, Netflix released the third and final season of "Squid Game," the most-watched series on the streaming platform.

The viral dystopic show, which centers around main character Seong Gi-hun or Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae), has delighted fans since its 2021 premiere, combining classic thriller elements with a deeper exploration of the human capacity for evil and the perils of an unequal society.

In Season 3, according to Netflix, "Gi-hun is at his lowest point yet, the Squid Game stops for no one. So Gi-hun will be forced to make some important choices in the face of overwhelming despair as he and the surviving players are thrust into deadlier games that test everyone’s resolve."

Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial outcome

All eyes were on the jury's decision in the bombshell Sean "Diddy" Combs two-month long sex crimes trial, which included witness testimony from former assistants, ex-girlfriend singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, and rapper Kid Cudi.

Earlier this month, on July 2, the 55-year-old music mogul was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of two counts of sex trafficking as well as the top charge, racketeering.

Combs' sentencing date is scheduled for October 3. He faces a maximum of 10 years each for both transportation to engage in prostitution charges.

NBA finals, NBA championship

The NBA finals started on June 5 and ended on June 22 when the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103 to 91 to clinch the 2025 NBA championship.

And, following the success and virality of "Love Island USA" Season 6, the latest season attracted a boatload of new fans, including men who were not previously interested in the show.

Throughout the series, fans jokingly shared on social media how their boyfriends and husbands preferred to tune into the reality show over the 2025 NBA finals.

"As a man choosing between the NBA Finals and Love Island...we can watch the finals later, turn on 'Love Island'," one person said in a TikTok video.

Snack Wrap makes a comeback at McDonald's

The Snack Wrap is back! The popular menu item was initially phased out in 2016, but it "never left fans' hearts," McDonald's stated.

It returned on July 10. Now fast food lovers can buy the item, which comes in two flavors: The Spicy Snack Wrap and The Ranch Snack Wrap .

The Snack Wrap is available a la carte or as a combo meal, which includes two Snack Wraps, a medium fry, and a drink of choice.

Serious events the 'Love Island' cast missed

Here's a list of some more serious news that made headlines while the islanders were away.

Other pop culture moments

Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Taijuan Moorman, Gabe Hauari, Anna Kaufman, Paste BN, Caché McClay, Paste BN NETWORK

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.