Leah Kateb from Love Island USA Accuses Producer of Misleading Claims About Miguel Harichi
Leah Kateb alleged that a particular Love Island USA producer attempted to manipulate her relationship with Miguel Harichi.
In an exclusive clip from the Tuesday, July 29 episode of Tommy DiDario‘s “I’ve Never Said This Before” podcast, Leah, who is currently featured in Peacock’s Beyond the Villa, revisited her previous comments about not returning to reality TV following season 6 of Love Island USA.
“For a long time, I thought I didn’t want to return to reality TV. But that wasn’t a final decision at all. A lot of people misunderstood when I said I wouldn’t be on Love Island Games,” she stated. “They reached out to me right after I left the villa. I just didn’t want to collaborate with certain producers again due to my past experiences and their comments towards me.”
Leah clarified that her struggles were not tied to her portrayal on the show. “I really don’t care about the villain edit. My real-life experience outside of that wasn’t positive. It was specific producers I wouldn’t want to work with again. That’s all I meant,” she explained. “I appreciate Peacock and NBC, and I genuinely liked many of the producers on Love Island USA. It was just a few individuals who weren’t very respectful and I feel they took advantage.”
Leah elaborated on how producers from Love Island USA would “pull you aside” and “check in” as contestants sought connections. “During those check-ins, they would say, ‘Oh, Miguel told me he doesn’t see a future with you outside this,’” she alleged.
“When I informed Miguel, he said, ‘I literally never said that.’ They were trying to push me away from Miguel, thinking that would create the most dramatic reality TV moment. But I have feelings; I’m a human being. They were saying similar things to Miguel — it was the same producer. While he was in Casa, he was told, ‘You don’t know what Leah is doing over there.’”
The contestants received a text and found love in the Love Island USA villa. The beloved British dating show made its way across the pond in 2019, showcasing American bombshells searching for The One in a luxurious tropical villa. In season 1, eventual winners Elizabeth Weber and Zac Mirabelli formed a connection…
Although Leah felt positive about her time on Love Island USA (she and Miguel just celebrated their one-year anniversary), she expressed her frustrations post-villa. “There were plenty of situations where they tried to manipulate things, and I wasn’t a fan. You had your narrative, which is fine since it’s TV, but it’s reality TV. You’re not writing a scripted show,” she commented.
Leah is thankful that her bond with Miguel remained strong throughout their reality TV experience.
“Miguel and I liked each other enough that we didn’t care about what they were saying. We obviously weren’t as close then as we are now, but we just understood each other,” she expressed. “That was a significant factor — being able to trust one another.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Peacock for further comment.
