One Livestream Just Cost Love Island Star Huda Mustafa a Major Brand Deal

Fallout from a controversial Instagram Live has cost Love Island USA season 7 alum Huda Mustafa her deal with beauty giant Huda Beauty, which announced on Instagram it has ended the partnership.

Well, that escalated fast. Love Island USA Season 7 alum Huda Mustafa is out of a brand deal with Huda Beauty after a messy Instagram Live with her boyfriend, Louis Russell, turned into exactly the kind of PR wildfire brands hate. Here is what happened, who said what, and where things stand now.

The brand split: swift and not subtle

Huda Beauty announced on Instagram that it has ended its partnership with Mustafa, calling her actions around the livestream deeply unsettling and not in line with the company’s values. The brand stressed that the decision was not about policing creator content, but about how the situation was handled and how people close to the company felt about it.

"This is about accountability, not canceling people."

Some fans pushed back on the brand’s call, but the company did not budge. As for Mustafa, she has not addressed the brand split specifically.

What actually went down on the livestream

Mustafa was on Louis Russell’s Instagram Live when they picked up a call from an unknown caller. During the brief call, the caller used a racial slur about Mustafa’s former Love Island co-star Olandria Carthen. On camera, Mustafa and Russell looked startled, hung up, and then laughed. Not a great combo.

Clips spread fast. So did the backlash. Fans called Mustafa racist and labeled Russell a bigot. Carthen publicly called the livestream unacceptable.

"Words like that carry generations of pain, and pretending otherwise only keeps the cycle going. Defending it, laughing about it, or making excuses is even worse. I will not let this moment derail my purpose of uplifting my community. I'm standing firm in who I am and using this as an opportunity to call for real accountability and awareness."

Context: this was not their first clash

Carthen had already confronted Mustafa at the Season 7 reunion, accusing her of failing to call out racist behavior from some fans toward Carthen and Chelley Bissainthe after the show ended. So, there was already history here before the livestream blew up.

Mustafa and Russell respond

Mustafa’s first response on Instagram Stories was damage control: she said neither she nor Russell heard the slur in real time, claimed they laughed because the whole moment felt awkward, and said everything the caller said was out of line. Later, she posted a more formal statement apologizing to Carthen and others.

"I want to be clear that I do not condone or tolerate anyone who uses such language and I strongly encourage the individual responsible to reflect deeply on their words and the harm they’ve caused."

She also said she would make a personal donation to the NAACP. Russell posted his own Stories condemning the language while insisting they did not hear the slur as it happened.

Despite the apologies, the internet kept the pressure on, with plenty of people calling the couple disrespectful and tone deaf. And for Huda Beauty — awkwardly, a brand that shares Mustafa’s first name — the mea culpas were not enough to keep the partnership alive.

How it unfolded, step by step

• Mustafa and Russell go live on his Instagram. They take a call from an unknown caller, who uses a slur about Olandria Carthen. They hang up, then laugh.
• Backlash erupts. Fans accuse Mustafa and Russell of bigotry. Carthen calls the livestream unacceptable and urges accountability.
• Mustafa posts an initial Story saying they did not hear the slur and that the laughter was about the awkward situation.
• Mustafa follows up with a formal apology to Carthen and others and says she will donate to the NAACP.
• Russell posts his own condemnation of the language and repeats that they did not hear it in the moment.
• Huda Beauty announces it has cut ties with Mustafa, calling the situation unsettling and emphasizing accountability.
• Some fans criticize the brand’s decision; Mustafa has not commented on the partnership ending itself.

Where it lands

Mustafa says she did not hear the slur, apologized anyway, and promised a donation. Russell says he did not hear it either and condemned it. Carthen asked for accountability. Huda Beauty delivered its version of that by dropping Mustafa. The fallout is still rolling, and the comments are not getting kinder.