We adored them on the second season of Love Island: USA, but fans of the Love Island franchise have just one burning question – is the runner-up couple, consisting of Cely Vazquez and Johnny Middlebrooks, still together in 2023?
Entering the villa on day one, Cely immediately coupled up with the handsome Tre Forte, however, things quickly took a turn as soon as Johnny arrived…
Entering the after the initial coupling had occurred, Johnny was given the opportunity to steal a woman from her couple. Instantaneously sweeping Cely off of her feet, Johnny chose to snatch the talented singer-songwriter away from Tre on the second day, and the duo remained coupled up until finale night (despite some infidelity that occurred during the infamous Casa Amor week).
Coming in second place (falling short to Justine Ndiba and Caleb Corprew), Cely and Johnny decided to pursue a relationship outside of the Love Island: USA villa, but was it long-term?
Despite dating for a few months after their Love Island: USA journey came to a close, the duo decided to go their separate ways in January of 2021.
Cely took to Twitter to announce the breakup, sharing with her followers, “Because you’ve all been such a close part of our relationship, I wanted to share with you that Johnny and I are no longer together. While our relationship has been public from the start, I do ask that you respect this decision and our privacy during this time. There is no reason to speculate, I am so thankful for our time together, but now it’s simply time for each of us to focus on our own personal journey. I hope that you continue to support each of us individually as we move forward, heal and continue to follow our dreams.”
Similarly, Johnny announced the breakup via his Instagram story, sharing with his followers, “Thank you so much for everything. I appreciate the time we spent together on this unforgettable journey. I will forever cherish the fun we had, the laughs we shared, and the memories we created. Thank you to all of the fans who loved and supported us the whole way through. Much love.”
While the pair was rather ambiguous about their reason for breaking up, old wounds were cut back open during the Love Island Games, which premiered on November 1 via Peacock. Can you believe both of them were cast for the show?
Johnny entered the Love Island Games villa during the end of the show’s premiere episode, and he sure did make a splash (no pun intended).
As a bombshell, he was given the opportunity to share a blindfolded kiss with the two islanders he found the most attractive, keeping his identity concealed until the following day. After kissing the stunning Imani Wheeler first, he then kissed kissed Cely Vazquez, ultimately leading to loads and loads of drama that was to come to light.
In the second episode of Love Island Games, Cely and Johnny had their first conversation post-breakup, where she ridiculed him for his behavior when they were dating after their Love Island: USA journey, as well as his behavior on social media after their split.
Nonetheless, after the conversation, the duo left things on good terms, agreeing to be cordial with one another during the remainder of Love Island Games.
How will the rest of the interactions between Cely Vazquez and Johnny Middlebrooks play out on Love Island Games? Catch new episodes Sundays through Fridays on Peacock to see for yourself.
