“Love Island USA” star Nadjha Day recognized “red flags” in her relationship with Jeff Christian before his outburst led to them leaving the villa early.
“There were red flags throughout our relationship,” she told Vidak For Congress in an exclusive interview. “It wasn’t just this one case.”
Christian became enraged after the islanders chose to dump the Casa Amor couple Phoebe Siegel and Chad Robinson over Deb Chubb and Jesse Bray for the Season 4 finale, citing an alleged “buddy-buddy” alliance between the OG -cast members.
A heated exchange ensued between Christian and eventual winner Timmy Pandolfi, Zeta Morrison’s last defending partner as she found herself on the receiving end of Christian’s wrath.
He later became angry with Day for apologizing to Pandolfi on his behalf. Shockingly, Christian then muttered, “F–k Nadjha.”
“I didn’t even know if that fight was going to be broadcast. I felt absolutely robbed of my experience,” Day says. “I was mad at him because there were so many other times when he’d had outbursts like this.”
She explains: “He was very, very jealous the entire time we were in the villa. He would just get jealous if I talk to a few other islanders. Lots of accusations were thrown at me. Things as little as,” Who are you staring behind your sunglasses?’”
The Colombian beauty says the increase in Christian’s worrying behavior culminated in her decision to break off the relationship and leave the Peacock reality show before it was named “America’s Favorite Couple.”
“I remember being so sad, but then I watched the episode again – the only episode I’ve seen since I [out of] the villa – and I remember thinking, ‘I’m so proud of the girl who’s running out of there. I am so proud that she did this for herself. She stood up for herself. She’s a naughty bitch,” she says. “It gave a lot of power.”
Day also made a concerted effort to set a good example for her little sister back home in Georgia.
“I have a 13-year-old sister at home who watches me,” she notes. “I will never, ever tolerate her any disrespect, someone plopping on her, making the comments he made. I just didn’t like it when she saw something like that and I just said, ‘Okay, that’s fine.’”
Though Day needed an immediate break from Christian, she’s since re-established communication with Cincinnati’s native post-production—and believes he’s worthy of redemption.
“I’ve forgiven him because I think he deserves it. I think he’s a stand-up guy. Yes, he has flaws, but I think everyone has flaws,” she says. behaved at the time, but that doesn’t take away from who he is as a person and I don’t want him to get negativity for that because he has so many great qualities.”
When asked if she can rekindle her romance with Christian, Day admits their future is uncertain.
“I think I still have a lot to process and a lot of self-reflection to do,” she says. “I really think he does. So we’ll see. We’ll see what the future brings. But right now I don’t really have an answer.”
The Season 4 reunion of “Love Island USA” will be available Thursday, September 1, at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or emotional abuse, call the National hotline for domestic violence at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.