With Love Island Games premiering on November 1 and concluding on November 21, the inaugural season of the Love Island spin-off was over in a flash, giving fan-favorite islanders from international iterations of the beloved competition series (from Love Island: USA to Love Island: UK to Love Island: Australia and beyond) “a second shot at love as they compete in a brand-new format to be crowned champions of Love Island Games. In this cheeky new iteration, romance will meet reality as fan-favorite islanders are faced with both team and couples’ challenges, all while navigating dating, eliminations, recoupling, dramatic arrivals, and new competition twists and turns like never before.”
Given the competitive nature of Love Island Games, viewers were left with one burning question as the show continued to progress — were these islanders in it for love, or were these islanders in it for the money? If they were anything like Imani Wheeler and Ray Gantt (both from Love Island: USA), these contestants got the best of both worlds!
While they were definitely competing for the $100,000 cash prize (falling short to Justine Ndiba and Jack Fowler in the end), Imani and Ray developed strong feelings for one another as Love Island Games continued to progress, becoming the only duo to make their relationship status official within the villa. They left Fiji as boyfriend and girlfriend — how sweet is that?
While they finished their respective Love Island Games journeys as an official couple, Imani and Ray have not been as lovey dovey on social media as some of the other couples that stemmed from the show, most notably Justine and Jack. Because of this, fans of the Love Island franchise are curious about one thing — are Imani Wheeler and Ray Gantt still together?
Keep scrolling to see for yourself…
Love Island Games viewers, grab some tissues…
According to Ray himself, he and Imani decided to go their separate ways as soon as filming wrapped —is love even real anymore?
Ray spilled all of the juicy details in a TikTok posted by @toohotteaa, where he revealed, “Me and Imani, once the show ended, we separated… I guess like she still felt a type of way about how things went down in the villa, and you know, we tried to be friends, but I don’t even think that really worked out.”
As for “how things went down in the villa,” Ray is likely referring to their elimination after the infamous carnival that occurred in episode 16. Given that Justine and Ray are friends outside of the villa (along with Cely Vazquez of Love Island: USA), the trio made a pact to look out for one another throughout Love Island Games, however, Justine broke her promise. When three couples (Zeta Morrison and Mitch Hibberd, Courtney Boerner and Scott van-der-Sluis, and Imani Wheeler and Ray Gantt) were left vulnerable, Justine and Jack were given the power to save one of them from elimination, ultimately choosing to save Zeta and Mitch over the other two pairs.
Instantaneously bursting into tears, Ray shared with Justine and Jack (as well as his fellow islanders), “That’s crazy bro. Justine, you can’t even look at me, man. You’re supposed to be my dawg, my best friend in here, man… That’s some gameplay s**t, when I’m your real friend. Yeah it’s a game, but I’m taking this very personal, bro.”
Since that fateful night, Justine has admitted that her intention was never to send her best friend Ray home, but to send his partner-turned-girlfriend home instead. In their final challenge on Love Island Games, Imani and Ray had a slight disagreement with one another, causing Imani to make some decisions that proved herself to be untrustworthy and rather wishy-washy. Because of this, Justine wanted her out of the villa, and unfortunately Ray was collateral damage — yikes!
In an exclusive interview with The Messenger, Ray admitted, “the villa got the best of us,” prior to explaining how their final challenge on Love Island Games led to the demise of his relationship with Imani as a whole…
“I came in with friends, and I guess I had loyalties with people and that kind of bothered her too, because sometimes she felt like she couldn’t play her own game… There was so much that happened in the villa, and I guess that bothered her, and her feelings are valid 1000%, but it is what it is. It is all love towards Imani, for sure,” the New Jersey native dished.
Nonetheless, while Imani and Ray might not be in a romantic relationship with one another, the 27-year-old revealed that they are “pretty cordial” with one another, however, he would not consider them to be friends.
To watch Imani Wheeler and Ray Gantt’s respective Love Island Games journeys from start to finish, fans of the Love Island franchise can watch the entirety of the beloved competition series on Peacock as we anxiously await a second season.
