After leaving the villa, Love Island star Olandria Carthen is speaking on her relationship with Taylor Williams. The duo started off as a couple early in the season, with viewers speculating if Williams had an interest in Carthen the same way that she did for him. Eventually, Williams chose to pursue a connection with Clarke Carraway following Casa Amour, leaving Olandria vulnerable to be voted off the show before ultimately getting saved and pairing with Nic Vansteenberghe.
Per an exclusive interview with Variety, Carthen argues that her connection with Williams wasn't portrayed accurately.
“I do not think my connection with Taylor was portrayed accurately at all,” she said. “If I had known from the beginning that Taylor was not physically attracted to me, I would not be going 10 times as hard. I don’t want anybody to force themselves to be attracted to me. We could have just been friends.”
Cathern expressed that Taylor was more kind and gracious towards her and the other house guests than was shown in the final edits of the show.
“They never showed what Taylor was doing to make me feel the way I did. He’s a sweet guy. He remembered everyone’s coffee, tea and breakfast orders. He was everyone’s ‘dream guy.' He was so nice to all of them. Even when Huda was on the chopping block with him, he wiped her tears with his shirt and set aside his feelings and emotions to ensure she felt safe and reassured in that moment. Taylor has so many great qualities that they probably didn’t show.”
But, she also clarified her source of contention with Taylor concerning him pursuing a relationship with Clarke.
“I’m not upset that Taylor found a genuine connection. I wish he had been more upfront with me. When Clarke was in the villa, Taylor expressed to me that he still wants to explore both of us. He never said he wasn’t feeling our connection anymore or that he didn’t find me physically attractive. None of those words ever came out of his mouth.”
She added, “If he knew that he was set on Clarke, he should have just said that up front and told me. I could have put my energy elsewhere rather than splitting my time and energy between him.”
As Williams and Carraway “closed off” their relationship before being voted off of Love Island, Carthen ultimately made it to the finale of the season coupled with Vansteenberghe and were
