Where is Huda Mustafa from? Love Island’s Jeremiah Brown opens up about his “toxic” romance with co-star and eventual elimination 

Love Island USA star Jeremiah Brown recently opened up about his "toxic" relationship with co-star Huda Mustafa. During his appearance on The Viall Files With Nick Viall on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Brown admitted that it began as "real" and "genuine."

For context, Brown and Mustafa, who hail from Raleigh, North Carolina, appeared on season 7 of Peacock's reality show. They made headlines earlier this month for their whirlwind romance, which began immediately after the show started. The move was met with criticism, as the pair weren't open to forming new connections.

According to US Weekly, fans soon accused Jeremiah of "love bombing" Huda Mustafa. Meanwhile, others called out the latter for her controlling behavior. Referencing their dramatic romance, he explained:

"It was very real and very genuine off the bat. It got a little toxic due to me not nipping in the bud the crazy expectations that she had set for me early on. Then the communication at the end was just not being perceived well."

Love Island sees ten single contestants living in isolation in a villa. The men and women couple up with one another either for love, friendship, or survival as they try to survive six weeks without being eliminated. The winning couple receives $100,000.

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"We got really intimate really soon" Jeremiah Brown reflected on his romance with Huda Mustafa

During his interview, Jeremiah Brown told Nick Viall that, despite his instant connection and "crazy electricity" with Huda Mustafa, the relationship was "not healthy" for either of them. Brown argued that she would "kind of crash out" every time he tried to "de-escalate" a situation. He asserted that their romance taught him not to be "intimate too soon."

Brown explained that on the first night of the show, he "panicked" and chose to couple with Mustafa. He explained it wasn't because he liked her, but he just didn't want her to be "stolen." But looking back, he felt he set them up for failure, stating:

"This was a mistake on both our parts — we got really intimate really soon. That set us up for failure."

Cracks in Brown and Huda Mustafa's romance began appearing two weeks in when he made pancakes for the latter. However, they were undercooked, sparking an argument, with Mustafa even asking another Islander, Taylor Williams, to make new ones.

Jeremiah Brown elaborated that they had a "genuine connection," but things took a turn when he told her "who (he was) in a relationship with," something Mustafa misunderstood as "who (he) need(ed) to be now." According to Entertainment Weekly, he explained that he set high expectations for Huda Mustafa, who started to expect more from him.

Brown also admitted that he could have communicated better, saying:

"I definitely didn't communicate, 'This is way, way too fast for me. Let's slow down,' because I liked her so much. I can own that. That was my main mistake."

He also cited Huda's "self-centeredness" as a reason they drifted apart, saying:

"I started to move (away from her) because she didn’t really ask me questions about myself."

Despite their separation, Jeremiah Brown told Nick Viall that he still cared "deeply" for Huda Mustafa.

In a separate statement made to E! News, Brown asserted that he had no interest in getting back together with Huda Mustafa outside of the show. He explained that watching the show on TV, he wished he had left her sooner, as he could see "red flags" in their relationship.

Ahead of his elimination, Brown tried to make new connections in the villa. In a public vote, fans took the opportunity to split the pair. Notably, it led to Huda Mustafa having a lengthy breakdown, to the point where she even questioned whether America hated her. Brown then tried to connect with newcomers Iris Kendall and Andreina Santos. However, he was eliminated.

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Mustafa is still on the show. Love Island USA is available to stream on Peacock.

Edited by Maithreyi S