Nic & Olandria Detail Life After Love Island, Nicolandria Nation & More
Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen have true soul ties.
The Love Island USA season seven castmates’ relationship has been going strong since they left the villa last summer, but it took a while for their bombshell romance to blossom—30 episodes, to be exact.
Despite their slow burn, signs of romance were certainly there when they first locked eyes—and lips—in Fiji. After all, the OG season seven islanders shared a passionate kiss before Olandria ultimately decided to pair up with Taylor Williams.
“Nic and I have always had a thing for each other since day one. I kissed him on day one,” Olandria, 27, recalled in an interview with Variety published in July. “Just because I didn’t choose to go with him does not mean that spark wasn’t there. It took us some time to get to this point. But that’s what makes this connection so special. We’ve been building up to this point.”
Even after they coupled up with other islanders, Nic, who initially partnered with Bell-A Walker, secretly went in for another smooch during their first challenge. Since Olandria was blindfolded during the chemistry-packed kiss, she had no idea Nic planted the peck until the end of their time in the villa. And looking back, he believes if he revealed his identity sooner, “everything would have been different.”
“I don’t know exactly what it would be,” the 24-year-old told TODAY.com in an interview published in July, “but every decision we’ve made has led us to here, and I wouldn’t change anything about that.”
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However, at the time, Olandria was in a committed relationship with Taylor and Nic was falling for bombshell Cierra Ortega. But their budding friendship shone through, with viewers expressing Nicolandria—as fans affectionately referred to them—would soon see how strong their chemistry was.
And Casa Amor put that chemistry on display. With the guys at the villa and the girls at Casa, both Nic and Olandria struggled to find new connections, resulting in Nic rescuing Olandria from Casa for a romantic date where they were presented with an ultimatum: couple up or go home single.
Despite sharing a passionate kiss and formally coupling up, Nic and Olandria quickly pumped the brakes on their budding romance. The next recoupling saw Nic reuniting with Cierra and Olandria remaining single after Taylor opted to pair up with Clarke Carraway.
Though at the time, Olandria suggested to Cierra and Chelley Bissainthe that there was “no f--kin’ spark” when she and Nic kissed, that’s not the full story. And Olandria can now admit that.
Ben Symons/Peacock
“In that moment, Nic and I were in two different spaces,” she explained to Variety in July. “Our connections at the time were still open. I was still trying to make amends with Taylor. Nic felt like he owed Cierra so much. In that moment, we didn’t allow ourselves to feel that spark. It could have been there, but we were trying to convince ourselves that it wasn’t because we felt like we owed our people so much.”
Although it might’ve seemed like their love connection would never be fully uncovered, everything changed following Cierra’s abrupt departure in episode 30. (Uncovered posts of her using a racial slur led to Peacock removing her from the villa.) Officially single, Nic was finally ready to pursue the Bama Barbie and she chose to pair up with him once more.
“I would like to couple up with this boy because he’s always expressed how much he’s valued me as a person, valued our bond,” she told the islanders at that night’s recoupling. “He has a crazy quirky personality. I’ve loved him from the moment I met him. Super excited to spend the rest of my days with this person.”
From then on, Nicolandria was in full swing, exploring their spark and meeting each other’s families ahead of the finale.
Ben Symons/Peacock
“I came to realize something: the person who has been standing beside you through it all may actually be the person you were meant to find,” Olandria told Nic during the finale. “I am not sure how I never noticed that it was you the entire time.”
During the finale, the duo—who exited the villa as runners up to the now split Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales—expressed hope for their future outside the villa.
And that future is looking bright as the long-distance duo—Olandria lives in Houston and Nic in Jacksonville—have been busy pursuing professional opportunities, from brand deals to modeling gigs. But chief among those priorities is Nic ensuring Olandria feels safe and loved.
“I’m so happy that I was blessed with this guy who allows me to bask in my femininity, you know what I mean, allows me to be soft,” Olandria gushed about Nick during her Aug. 13 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. “He takes the wheel. Usually I’m a control freak, I let him do everything. The support that I have from this guy is unreal. It allows me to be the soft woman I’ve always wanted to be, so I’m so grateful."
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images
And though some have questioned whether Nic and Olandria’s romance is just for the cameras, she’s made it clear just how wrong that speculation is.
“I really feel like that’s why we’re so successful,” she told Cosmo at the Golden Globes in January. “We continue to prioritize our solo careers as well as our relationship.”
Ultimately it just comes down to the root, their friendship, and how it sent them up for a life outside of Fiji.
“I really think the foundation to a great relationship is always friendship when there is no expectations and no pressure,” Olandria told Nic during the season finale, “just two individuals learning each other over time.”
As Olandria and Nic continue to thrive, keep reading to see how their fellow reality stars are faring romance-wise.
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Robby Hoffman & Gabby Windey
Status: Married
What happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas for several months, former Bachelorette Gabby Windey choosing not to reveal her and wife Robby Hoffman's January 2025 vows until mid-March. "It was the best," The Traitors winner told Cosmopolitan of the Sin City ceremony, thrown together after they evacuated their home during the L.A. fires.
Staying in a hotel room that resembled a wedding suite, "Gabby turned to me and she went, 'Should we get married?'" Hoffman recalled. So Windey found a lace dress and cued up Chappell Roan's "HOT TO GO!" for her walk down the aisle.
With roses everywhere, "In a weird way, it was giving Bachelor," Windey noted. But her favorite part was that it was a one-on-one date with the Hacks star.
"I just love being with Robby," the reality star explained, "so knowing that I got her one-on-one to celebrate this beautiful night, I could cry. It was joy."
Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
Rachael Kirkconnell & Matt James
Status: Split
In a fairly dramatic swerve, Bachelor Matt James announced his split from girlfriend of four years Rachael Kirkconnell Jan. 16, 2025, mere hours after giving Instagram followers a glimpse at their London getaway.
The issue, said Kirkconnell, was that James worried they weren't contemplating marriage for the right reasons. The reality alum said during a January 2025 appearance on Call Her Daddy that "at the end of the day there were just qualities about me that he worries about having in a wife."
Noting they were ultimately just not compatible, she added, "It was just one of those things where he, I think, just had this realization that I should want to propose to you by this time. Like at this point in our relationship, 'I should be wanting those things and I should be ready for that. But I'm not still, I still don't feel like we're ready or I don't feel like I'm ready. I don't know if I ever see myself proposing to you. I can't actually see myself married to you.'"
Instagram/Katie Thurston
Jeff Arcuri & Katie Thurston
Status: Married
Though former Bachelorette Katie Thurston was already engaged to comedian Jeff Arcuri when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, their in-sickness-and-health vows took on a new meaning when they pulled together their New York nuptials that March.
"One night he said, 'I want to show you that I still love you and that I’m here to stay,'" she explained to Us Weekly ahead of their backyard vows, noting they still have plans for a larger wedding. "And he said, 'I will get married to you tomorrow.'"
For Thurston, she added, "It was this kind gesture of him saying, truly, in sickness and in health. He is proving that he’s here to stay."
And with her new spouse by her side, Thurston shared a rosier update last July, revealing that her tumors had shrank. As she told E! News in October, "I'm doing good, all things considered."
Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
James Kennedy & Ally Lewber
Status: Split
For awhile, spiritual astrologer Ally Lewber truly felt her romance with fellow Vanderpump Rules star James Kennedy was written in the stars. But their relationship crumbled not long after the DJ's domestic violence arrest in December 2024.
Though prosecutors ultimately decided not to charge Kennedy over the incident, "It was difficult,” Lewber detailed while launching her StarStruck podcast in April. "Very public. I recognize now that that was a toxic relationship."
Having reached the other side, she continued, "I’m really looking forward to this new era where I can focus on astrology and my passion and no more DJs or reality TV." As for her connection to Kennedy, "We are no longer together, but I'll always support James and wish him the best with his sobriety and healing."
Disney/Eric McCandless
Brooks Nader & Gleb Savchenko
Status: Split
When Love Thy Nader star Brooks Nader was paired with pro Gleb Savchenko on Dancing With the Stars, they became partners IRL as well. But in April 2025, Nader confirmed they were no longer in step.
They weren't even following the same routine, to be honest. "I was surprised to learn through an article published today … that Brooks has ended our relationship," Savchenko said in an April 7 statement to Us Weekly. "The last communication I received from her was a text on April 6, asking to speak. I called her today in response, but she has not replied."
Disney/James Clark
Zach Shallcross & Kaity Biggar
Status: Married
For Bachelor alums Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar, Austin's Chapel Dulcinea proved to be the perfect place to cement their love. As the account exec and the nurse began planning extravagant vows, "I just took a step back, and I was like, 'I don't know if we need this,'" she explained on a June 2025 episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast weeks after their May 23 nuptials. "The whole point of a wedding is just staying true to the love and the connection of both of us, and I felt like I was honing in too much on little details."
But after marrying in what Shallcross called a "very private" ceremony with just seven family members on hand, they turned their second wedding into a group date.
They celebrated with 100 guests—including fellow Bachelor Nation members Joey Graziadei, Kelsey Anderson, Charity Lawson, Dotun Olubeko, Susie Evans and Kathy Swarts—on Nov. 15. And now, "We cannot wait to have kids in the near future!" she told People. "We are looking at the fall of 2026 to start growing our family."
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JoJo Siwa & Chris Hughes
Status: Dating
Though JoJo Siwa didn't land atop the proverbial pyramid during her stint on Celebrity Big Brother UK, she emerged from her time filming last spring with a better prize: A new partner in fellow competitor Chris Hughes. "Christopher is my favorite thing to talk about," she gushed of the Love Island alum to E! News' Keltie Knight in May 2025. "I shouldn’t call him a thing—he’s my favorite person to talk about."
And, yet, she kept reiterating, they were just friends. Until they weren't.
"It’s not platonic any more," Siwa acknowledged to The Guardian in June, "and it’s been a beautiful development, a beautiful connection, and I’m absolutely head over heels for him and he’s the same way."
Instagram/Jenn Tran
Jenn Tran & Sasha Farber
Status: Split
While Bachelorette Jenn Tran may not have been on Dancing With the Stars to make friends, she did get awfully close to partner Sasha Farber. But after nearly a year of dating—during which the aspiring physician assistant crashed at his place—she waltzed her way out of the romance in June 2025.
Having put her studies on hold to hand out the roses (though she got engaged to Devin Strader, they split before the finale aired), "Jenn is hard at work on her studies in Miami right now and not letting anything else get in the way of her goals," a source told E! News at the time. "She also doesn’t need a man to be tied to her in the media."
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Juliana Pasquarosa & Grant Ellis
Status: Split
Less than three months after Bachelor Grant Ellis' runner-up Litia Garr grilled him on After the Final Rose, claiming he'd led her to believe she would claim the final rose, he revealed his engagement to Juliana Pasquarosa had wilted. "We both gave this our best and poured a lot of love into each other," he shared in a June Instagram Story post, "but after a lot of deep conversations, we’ve come to the understanding that we’re simply not the right fit long term."
But when the client service associate appeared on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast last December, she said it was time to reveal the thorns-and-all truth. Within days of ATFR airing, "I was really upset and I, probably, spoke out of anger and said some really hurtful things," Pasquarosa recounted of their argument. And then when we woke up, the first thing he said to me was he had game-planned different ways we could announce our breakup. And I hadn’t even made that decision on my end."
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Aaron Phypers & Denise Richards
Status: Separated
One twist that Denise Richards didn't see coming: Her July 2025 split from husband of six years Aaron Phypers. "It's so hard to go through a divorce," the Denise Richards & Her Wild Things star explained in an Aug. 21 Instagram video. "This isn't my first one, it's my second one, and I never thought I'd get divorced again. This is why I always say, ‘Never, say never.'"
Though she was granted a temporary restraining order after accusing Phypers of abuse (allegations he has denied), she declined to get into the details behind their separation. "There's circumstances around my divorce that are difficult to talk about," she noted. "One day I will talk about it, when the time is right."
Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage
Hayley Kiyoko & Becca Tilley
Status: Engaged
Why, of course Bachelor alum Becca Tilley was thrilled to accept longtime girlfriend Hayley Kiyoko's July 2025 proposal. As the singer put it on Instagram, "My dream girl said yes to forever."
And five months after Kiyoko dropped to bended knee in Mallorca, her partner of seven years asked to steal her for forever, popping the question during their getaway to Kyoto, Japan.
Their vows could take place in another far-flung locale. Predicting their future nuptials in a 2024 interview with E! News, Scrubbing In podcaster Tilley said, "I definitely think maybe traveling somewhere, like a destination situation, inviting close friends and family and keeping it smaller."
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
Dom Natale & Lo Bosworth
Status: Married
Apparently July 20, 2025, was where Lo Bosworth's book with now-husband Domenic "Dom" Natale began. Though the NYC-based couple initially envisioned a large city wedding after revealing their engagement in January 2025, "Once our family plans got underway," The Hills alum explained to People, "we changed course to something we knew would be perfect if I was lucky enough to get pregnant: An intimate wedding with our closest family members enjoyed at home."
And the Love Wellness founder was, indeed, four months along when she married the businessman at her parents' home in Laguna Beach, Calif. "When your reception is in your backyard and you invite guests to jump in the pool, you need to be laid back about it all," she detailed of the low-key affair. "We wanted an understated, but colorful luncheon that felt inviting instead of stuffy."
The two began a new chapter nearly one year after revealing their proposal. “Our girl Nelle is here,” she captioned her Jan. 15, 2026 Instagram post. "She started the year by surprising us two weeks early, but really, she was right on time. Our teeny one is named for her Oma and already so loved."
Ben Symons/Peacock via Getty Images
JaNa Craig & Kenny Rodriguez
Status: Split
Several new bombshells entered the proverbial villa after Love Island USA season six alums JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez confirmed their breakup in July 2025. "As you know, Kenny and I are no longer together," Craig wrote on her Instagram Stories July 29. "Please know that I have seen all the breakup theories and none have matched up to how terrible, disgusting and disappointing it truly is." (For his part, Rodriguez wrote on Instagram, "Sometimes, despite how deeply you care for someone, you come to the hard truth that the relationship was not something that could last long-term.")
While Craig didn't get into the dirty details, her bestie Charmane Smith couldn't resist. "If you have access, go thru your mans phone TODAY," she wrote in a since-deleted post. "Search keywords like 'I don't like black women, I thought I would get more money from this, I'm faking this relationship, going on the show would be for clout, I can't wait to be done w this so I can f--k hella b--ches.'"
Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock
Bryan Arenales & Amaya Espinal
Status: Split
Forget tea, Amaya Espinal spilled a bit of salt water after announcing she and fellow Love Island USA champ Bryan Arenales split just a month after leaving the villa. "It became very clear that we were on two different journeys," she wrote in an Aug. 27 Instagram Stories post. "Our visions didn't align and relationships are suppose to be a team sport." And, summed up the fan favorite, "You don't have to drink the whole sea to know it's salty."
Now she's getting her fill with a new romance she revealed in February.
Meanwhile, her fellow season seven Islander Chelley Bissainthe remained 10 toes down in her romance with Ace Greene post-show. But their relationship didn't last the year.
"Ace and I actually decided to part ways," Bissainthe revealed on SiriusXM's Page Six Radio Dec. 12. "It really was a tough decision for the both of us and very hard to decide. When you love someone, sometimes loving someone means letting go. So we just got to that decision that was best."
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Olandria Carthen & Nic Vansteenberghe
Status: Dating
Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen may have left Fiji in second place last July, but they feel like winners as the sole remaining pair from season seven of Love Island USA. Though Vansteenberghe took some time to find his true mamacita, Carthen swears they would have coupled up sooner if she'd know he was who she was kissing in the blindfold challenge.
"Because that initial attraction was there for me too, which is why I kissed him day one," she explained to E! News in July. "But honestly, just looking back, although we both went through hell, our journeys were very, very similar."
Zara McDermott/Instagram
Zara McDermott & Louis Tomlinson
Status: Dating
He's got that one thing. Six months after One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson and Love Island alum Zara McDermott sparked romance rumors, they hard-launched their relationship with an Aug. 4 Instagram post.
While she accompanied the smooch selfie with a simple heart emoji, the musician commented, "I love you x."
Keely Watson/Instagram
Keely Watson & Bozoma Saint John
Status: Engaged
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Bozoma Saint John collected another diamond last summer when entrepreneur Keely Watson proposed in front of a group of loved ones at West Hollywood's BOA Steakhouse Aug. 29.
More than a decade after losing her first husband, Peter Saint John, "This engagement is my testimony: you can rise from grief, reclaim your joy, and still find a love worthy of your 'yes,'" the marketing exec explained to People. "Keely is proof that God’s timing is perfect—and so is His plan. I’m saying yes to life, to love and to the miracle of second chances."
Alex Weaver/Instagram
Stephen Colletti & Alex Weaver
Status: Married
Two years after Laguna Beach alum Stephen Colletti proposed to NASCAR reporter Alex Weaver, the pair let the rain fall down and wake their dreams. Sharing pics of their intimate courthouse vows (featuring a Nadine Merabi dress and Marrow Fine Jewelry rings) on Instagram Oct. 3, the newlyweds captioned the post with a straightforward, "Mr. & Mrs."
Afterwards, the pair said "oui" to a Parisian getaway, Weaver revealing a glimpse of their "le mini-moon de France" on Instagram.
Next they'll add a bébé into the mix. The duo captioned their joint Jan. 20 announcement, "Mom & Dad."
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Mercedes "MJ" Javid & Tommy Feight
Status: Separated
Mercedes "MJ" Javid is keeping the gloves on when it comes to her split from Tommy Feight. Nearly a month after the Shahs of Sunset alum filed to divorce her husband of seven years, she told E! News at November's BravoCon 2025, "I love him." And thanks to their 6-year-old son Shams, "We're always going to be family and I think the future is going to be really positive for all of us, Tommy, me."
Fans can catch a glimpse on her new Bravo series The Valley: Persian Style. "Nothing is off limits," she insisted of filming their marital troubles. "We won't let each other get away with that."
Jenny Pollitte Photographer
Brian Lovvorn & Amy Slaton
Status: Married
Amy Slaton knows how to scare up a good time. Five months after the 1,000-lb Sisters star announced her engagement to fiancé Brian Lovvorn, the couple tied the knot in a Halloween ceremony at Bardston, Ky.'s Talbott Tavern, a historic restaurant and inn that boast tales of ghostly encounters.
For Slaton, it was the perfect spot to wed her boo. "My wedding is a dream finally coming true," she told People. "I’m getting my happily ever after!"
Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images
Dolores Catania & Paulie Connell
Status: Engaged
Dolores Catania's soon-to-be-husband dared to think different when putting together his Nov. 10 proposal. Having met The Real Housewives of New Jersey star at an Apple store in the Garden State, entrepreneur Paulie Connell dialed up a plan to pop the question there.
"I could have proposed on a yacht in Greece," the CEO of Eco Electrical Services stressed to People. "I could have rented a grand hall, invited 400 people and asked her to marry me with fireworks in the background. But that's not who we are. I didn't want anything over-the-top and staged because we're a humble couple."
Though the 11-carat diamond isn't exactly understated.
"I'm ecstatic!" the mom of two noted of marrying her partner of nearly five years. "You know when you feel that happiness down in your gut? That's where this excitement stems from for me. I feel so blessed, I almost feel guilty! Like I don't deserve to be loved this way."
Prince Williams/WireImage
Kandi Burruss & Todd Tucker
Status: Separated
Days after announcing her split from producer husband Todd Tucker, Kandi Burruss reminded fans that Instagram reels aren't always, you know, real. "All the times you’ve been seeing me online means nothing," the Grammy winner explained during a Nov. 24 Amazon Live. "I've been going through it, child. I’ve been going through it. Life has been life-ing me."
As for the end of her 11-year marriage, she noted, "This is something that has been brewing for a while."
Jon Gosselin/Instagram
Stephanie Lebo & Jon Gosselin
Status: Married
On Nov. 23, it officially became Jon Gosselin plus Stephanie Lebo when the father of eight wed the research and development specialist in a Pennsylvania ceremony.
As 180 guests looked on (including her daughter Juliana and two of his kids, Collin and Hannah), the Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum reportedly told his bride, "Before I met you, I never knew what it was like to be able to look at someone and smile for no reason." And now, he added, according to Entertainment Tonight, "I feel like the luckiest man in the world, because I get to grow old with my best friend and the love of my life."
GREG GAYNE/NETFLIX
Brennon Lemieux & Alexa Alfia
Status: Separated
File this under news we wish we could remain blind to. Four years after their TV wedding, Love Is Blind season three standouts Alexa Alfia and Brennon Lemieux revealed they were no longer two peas in a pod.
"After much reflection and many heartfelt conversations, we have made the difficult decision to end our marriage," Alfia, who shares 18-month-old daughter Vienna with Lemieux, detailed on Instagram Dec. 3. "This choice was not made lightly, and it comes with a great deal of care, respect, and appreciation for the time we've shared."
Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images
Bronwyn Newport & Todd Bradley
Status: Separated
Even Todd Bradley's five diamonds, representing five promises he'd made to wife Bronwyn Newport couldn't keep their union shining bright. After spending most of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's sixth season discussing the cheating allegations against him, Newport and the tech exec announced their intention to end their nine-year marriage.
"After thoughtful consideration, Bronwyn Newport and Todd Bradley have separated," her rep told E! News in Dec. 12 statement. "This was a mutual decision made with care and respect for one another."
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