Love Island USA’s Ace and Chelley Detail Their Pre-Show Connection
“Chellace” is setting the record straight.
After Love Island USA’s Michelle “Chelley” Bissainthe and Ace Green’s loved ones shut down online rumors that the pair was in a relationship before docking in Fiji, the two admitted that their pre-show connection did have a small impact in the way they moved in the villa.
“It’s no secret that Chelley and I knew each other before the experience,” Ace told Variety in a joint interview published July 11. “We had a conversation that went, ‘I know who you are. You know who I am, but that doesn’t mean we gotta be coupled up together right away. We’re here to explore and find our partner.’”
So, despite Chelley and Ace’s instant connection, the dancer decided to couple up with fellow Islander Amaya “Papaya” Espinal during the Peacock reality series’ first recoupling.
“I wanted to do that with Amaya and see where things could go,” he explained. “I was trying to get to know Amaya more, and that’s where my head was at.”
But when it became clear that Ace and Amaya simply weren’t romantically compatible, he and Chelley found their way back to each other a few days later. And while some viewers felt that the two were being strategic in the ways they navigated the villa, Ace made it clear that he was just trying to be “very intentional” in his conversations.
"I’ve already had a following coming into this, and I didn’t want to come in with that entertainer mindset of doing whatever to get attention,” the 22-year-old said. “It wasn’t that. It was me being open and communicating to the fellas, ‘We have to communicate more if you want to talk to a person. Let them know if you’re not interested so there’s no miscommunication, people think you’re or that you are not here for the right reasons.’”
“I never was strategic,” he added. “I stated how I felt every time. It was never a matter of Ace being messy. If you feel a way, come talk to me about it, or I’ll pull you aside to clear the air.”
For her part, Chelley, 27, came into the villa knowing she wanted to take full advantage of the experience by getting to know each and every contestant.
“It’s about exploring and getting to know other people,” she told the outlet. “I wanted to explore everybody. I wanted to make that clear from day one. The girls did too. Not everybody did it, but I always pushed the idea that we should explore each other’s connections too.”
As for what’s next for Chelley and Ace? Well, since they deemed themselves “exclusive” right before leaving Fiji during the July 11 episode, the couple expects their relationship to long outlast their time in the villa.
“We are going to take our time day by day,” Ace shared. “We are still getting to know each other outside of villa life. Life is completely different from what America gets to see. I’m excited to grow our relationship and improve our communication.”
For more about the season seven cast of Love Island USA, keep reading.
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