Love Island USA‘s Kenny Reposted a Suspicious TikTok a Week Before JaNa’s Friends Accused Him of Being a Racist
Jason Pham
As Love Island USA‘s Kenny Rodriguez continues to face racism accusations after his breakup with JaNa Craig, fans have also been looking into his own ethnicity and what exactly went down in his and JaNa’s split.
What’s Kenny Rodriguez’s ethnicity?
According to a 2022 Instagram post by his college, Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kenny is a second-generation American of Dominican heritage. Both of his parents immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in the 1960s. “My name is Kenneth Rodriguez and I am currently a senior at Macalester College. Born in New York City, I am a second generation American. Both of my grandparents immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in the late 60’s as teenagers and labored most of their lives in factory jobs to ensure my parents and I received a good education,” he wrote. “When I think of my heritage I think of the role that family, religion and sports have played in my life. Catholicism has ingrained in me the importance of community, self-reflection and prayer.”
Related: Who’s still together from Love Island: Beyond the Villa?
He continued, “I have also been able to connect with my heritage through baseball as it is the national sport of the Dominican Republic. My family and I watched baseball regularly, cheering on our country’s stars( David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez). More than anything baseball is a passion we as Dominicans have that unites us all. The sacrifices of my family make me proud of who I am and where I come from.”
Interest in Kenny’s ethnicity came after JaNa’s friends and Love Island USA Season 6 castmates accused him of racism during their relationship. “@kennyrodriguez Put a sock in it ChatGPT headass. Tell the truth for once! Racist, clout/money hungry and a scammer since DAY 1!!!! Tryna make it seem like it’s something it’s not,” Leah wrote. “Dw, our Nay is blessed and highly favored,” JaNa’s fellow Love Island USA Season 6 co-star Leah Kateb wrote in an Instagram Story.
JaNa’s best friend Charmane Smith also wrote in her own Instagram Story, “My advice for women in relationships: if you have access- go thru your mans phone TODAY. 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 fuck hella b*thces………” She continued, “You’ll thank me later. P.S.-NEVER spare a man… Dog them out babygirl <3”
Racist claims against Kenny came after a source for Deuxmoi accused of him of referring to JaNa’s with racist names in texts to his friends. “Allegedly the tea on the breakup is that she found texts on Kenny’s phone about his plan to stay with her for business/clout, texts with friends calling her r*c*s* names which aligns with both Leah and Serena’s statements calling him a clout chaser and racist,” the source said.
Though Kenny hasn’t responded to the racist allegations, at the time of writing, fans noted a TikTok he reposted around July 20, less than two weeks before news broke of his and JaNa’s breakup. The TikTok was a scene from the 2019 movie, The Hate U Give, in which the character, Maverick Carter, gives a speech to his family. “Don’t you ever forget that being black is an honor cause you come from greatness,” he said in the video, which was followed by clips of Black celebrities including Rihanna, Beyonce, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Jackson, SZA, and Janet Jackson.
JaNa and Kenny met on Love Island USA Season 6 and dated for a year until their split in July 2025. “Hi my loves. Thank you for all your love & support. It means the world to me. As you know, Kenny and I are no longer together. Please know that I have seen all the breakup theories and none have matched up to how terrible, disgusting and disappointing it truly is,” JaNa wrote in an Instagram Story at the time. “Discovering that someone you loved isn’t who you thought they were and that the relationship you thought you were building hasn’t been genuine since day one has been truly devastating. Thank you for respecting my privacy and please know as a child of God, I will always be okay.”
Kenny, for his part, also confirmed the split with his own statement. “The past few days have been incredibly difficult. I’ve been quietly sitting with a lot of emotions and doing my best to process everything privately,” he wrote. “Breakups are never easy, especially in the public eye. 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.”
He continued, “I’ll always be grateful for the time we shared and the memories we created. I release this chapter with no ill will, only a hope that JaNa’s path forward brings her nothing but happiness.”
In response to Kenny’s statement, JaNa published a second Instagram Story in which she accused him of not being truthful for the real reason for their split, which led to the racism allegations. “@kennyrodriguez stfu you manipulative liar. You not taking accountability and telling people the type of person you really are is insane to me!! My first statement was me being nice. Do not piss me off.”
Love Island USA streams on Peacock.
