“Love Island” star Austin Shepard is getting real about his struggle with addiction. During a podcast appearance, the 27-year-old opened up about relapsing while filming the show’s spin-off, “Beyond the Villa.”
Austin Shepard isn’t any stranger to the highlight, as he was also the focus in the course of the most up-to-date season of “Love Island” after netizens called him out for reportedly sharing offensive content.
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Austin Shepard Relapsed While Filming The ‘Love Island’ Spin-Off
Shepard revealed that he was 11 days sober on the “Previously On” podcast by TMZ. The “Love Island” alum shared that before reaching that time, he relapsed by utilizing opioids while filming season 2 of the show’s spin-off, “Beyond the Villa.”
“Nobody knew,” he shared. “I’m a reasonably manipulative, functional addict until it becomes so unmanageable—like the way it got. But I can bullsh-t for some time.”
Shepard likened himself to a “salesman,” adding that he tends to “wave and pretend all the things is OK.”
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Austin Shepard Revealed His Co-Stars Noticed A Change In His Behavior
Elsewhere, during his appearance on the podcast, Shepard showed like to his co-stars, who noticed the fact star’s demeanor had modified while filming “Beyond the Villa.”
“Charlie began reaching out within the last month and was like, ‘Bro what’s occurring?’” he said. “I just got pretty real with him, just telling him just about all the things. He’s been wishing me love, giving me love. Same with TJ, Iris. They’ve been sending me love.”
Shepard also got real concerning the difficulties he’s faced while managing his sobriety.
“I understand how this road goes,” he said. “I’ve had loads of friends who aren’t here today which have sadly passed from it and it’s either death or a protracted lifetime of misery.”
“That was my moment of clarity, finally,” he said.
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Austin Shepard Sought Skilled Help
For Shepard, gaining clarity was just one in every of the things that helped him deal together with his struggle. He also admitted to looking for skilled help at one other point during his journey.
“There was one night where I used to be sitting there, I used to be just going crazy,” he said. “I hadn’t slept in 4 nights. I used to be very sick. Just puking. It was horrible. I used to be like, ‘I want to go somewhere, medically.’”
The ability Shepard checked into gave him excellent care, he said, adding that the support of his members of the family has helped strengthen him.
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Shepard Faced Backlash After Sharing Controversial Posts
Based on a previous report from The Blast, Shepard faced backlash from the “Love Island” viewers in the summertime of 2025 after he reportedly shared offensive content on his social media channels.
“I would like to take a moment to deal with my recent repost that has caused offense to a few of you,” he wrote online. “As you all know, I actually have a really dry humorousness, and I genuinely didn’t think before sharing that content.”
Shepard had been under fire throughout his stay within the “Love Island” villa, as eagle-eyed social media sleuths called the fact star out for his previous posts before joining the forged.
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“I recognize that my alternative of content didn’t resonate well with everyone, and for that, I sincerely apologize,” Shepard shared. “I’m committed to learning from this experience and to being more mindful in the longer term. Thanks on your understanding and for holding me accountable.”
Days before his apology, Shepard made headlines after responding to a social media user who branded the Michigan alum a “racist bigot.”
“I’m going to present this attention just one time because that is, like, crazy,” Shepard said in response. “Are you f-cking dumb? Like, truthfully, are you dumb? Do you not think?”
One other ‘Love Island’ Star Walks Back Controversial Post
Shepard wasn’t the one “Love Island” star in hot water. A previous report from The Blast states that Yulissa Escobar, who also appeared in season 7 of the competition series, was booted from the show in the course of the second episode after old clips of her using a racial slur resurfaced.
Online, Escobar attempted to come clean with her mistakes, sharing that she previously used the N-word while “not fully understanding the burden, history, or pain behind it.”
Escobar went on to say that while she meant no harm, she began to grasp how serious her words were after being dismissed from the series.
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“I’ve modified quite a bit since then, not only in how I speak, but in how I show up, how I carry myself, and the way I honor the experiences of others,” Escobar continued. “Growth means recognizing if you were mistaken, even when it’s uncomfortable, and selecting to maneuver forward with humility and accountability.”