The Big Picture

Coye Simmons regrets not talking to other women on
Love Island USA
and wished to show more effort with JaNa.
He believes the islanders are confused and that there’s no clear side to take in the Rob Rausch vs Leah Kateb drama.
Coye misses original islanders at the final and hopes JaNa finds what she’s looking for, with no bad blood between them.

The first week of Love Island USA was full of surprises. Coye Simmons entered the villa looking for a confident, adventurous, and outgoing woman on the reality dating series. It looked like he found what he was looking for with JaNa Craig. Some islanders thought they were good as married. But JaNa wanted him to pull her for more conversations and show effort.

Collider talked to Coye about the first three days of the season on June 20. He addressed his regret for not talking to other women, why he held back with JaNa, and the drama since he left the Peacock show.

Love Island In a stunning villa, a group of attractive singles lives together as they seek love and connections. Contestants must pair up and stay coupled to survive elimination rounds. Along the way, they participate in engaging challenges and games that put their relationships to the test. New islanders are regularly introduced, causing shifts in alliances and romantic interests. Viewers play a crucial role by voting for their favorite couples, with the most popular pair ultimately winning a cash prize and the title of the strongest couple.Release Date July 9, 2019 Cast Arielle Vandenberg , Sarah Hyland , Matthew Hoffman , Iain Stirling Main Genre Reality Seasons 11 Streaming Service(s) Hulu Franchise(s) Love Island Expand

Why JaNa Craig Picking Connor Newsum on ‘Love Island USA’ Confuses Coye Simmons
Image via Peacock

Coye’s intro focused on his height and the other islanders often commented on his 6’8 build. “I feel like, I’m more than just height,” he said. “I play basketball. I got a whole business degree. You don’t really hear that side.” He wished the audience got to see his funny personality. “Even when I looked back and watched it I was just dull or something,” he noted.

Coye started the season with the most options. Hannah Smith,Serena Page, and JaNa picked him on the first night. Coye said his type is “natural bodies” and confident. He already kissed JaNa and Serena in the icebreaker game. “I feel like the kiss really didn’t make a big impact,” he said regarding who he chose. Coye said he was “overwhelmed” and had to make a quick decision, so he picked JaNa.

Related The Big Difference Between This Season’s ‘Love Island USA’ and ‘UK’ Revealed Unlike the U.S., the ladies of ‘Love Island UK’ have not been seeing eye to eye.

The former islander addressed his last words of regretting not exploring more options. “I would have probably explored things with Serena and Hannah,” he revealed. “Just because, like three women did pick me, so I should’ve explored those other options.” He didn’t pursue them because of how the men they were coupled up with, Kordell Beckham and Kendall Washington, talked about them. “I wasn’t trying to backdoor one of the bros,” he said. “But at the same time now I know you got to do that.”

Coye thinks all the islanders are still confused, especially after the games. “People here on dates just crying over somebody they just met,” he said. JaNa cried over him but she started to get to know Connor Newsum when things weren’t going well. Coye claims Connor came into the villa saying he likes blond hair and blue eyes. But JaNa also made it clear she didn’t want to be anyone’s second choice. “I was confused just like everybody else,” he said.

“There is only so much I can say in three days,” the tall islander claimed. JaNa didn’t feel that way and asked Coye to communicate more. Would he have shown more effort if he had a different match? “I could’ve put in a little bit of more,” he admitted. But he made it clear he wasn’t ready to talk about childhood traumas on national television in the first week. Coye claimed JaNa also had boundaries about what she wouldn’t talk about because of the cameras.

Coye Simmons Won’t Take Sides In Rob Rausch Versus Leah Kateb
Image via Peacock

Of course, the dumped islander is watching the new episodes. Rob Rausch is having a more emotional journey in the villa. He cried during a conversation with Leah Kateb and dramatically walked into the pool. “It’s confusing, I would have the same emotions too,” Coye claimed. The fans have been splitting into Team Rob or Team Leah since he started showing interest in someone else. “I don’t see nobody’s side more than the other,” Coye said. He said no one had closed things off and that led to confusion.

He also shared his thoughts on Serena and Kordell. Serena ended things with him while they were technically a couple. Kordell talked to bombshells, Andrea Carmona and Nicole Jacky. Kordell stood up to potentially match with one of them at the next coupling ceremony, but they didn’t choose him. Serena claimed the space made her want Kordell more, so there is hope for them.

Related ‘Love Island USA’s JaNa Craig Flips the Script for Black Women Islanders Future islanders should learn from JaNa Craig’s choices

“I feel like she’s being a real person,” Coye said. He called Serena “the most realistic person in the whole house.” Coye related to her in their conversations about not wanting to move quickly. He said there was chemistry between them when they talked about their icebreaker kiss, but that stopped when Kordell clearly liked her.

“That ain’t really me,” he said about trying to get in between a relationship. It doesn’t sound like Coye would make for a good Casa boy, but he had fun talking about it. “Me going in there and stirring stuff up would be crazy,” he said, laughing. “If I had to get on next time, I’ll tear some stuff up.” However, he couldn’t know any of the men or anything about their relationships. “Yeah, I could do that,” he said.

Coye missed out on meeting Andrea and Nicole. Who would he have pursued if he was still in the villa? “They’re both equally matched,” he said. He believes that’s why most of the men are turning their heads. He hopes to see original islanders at the final. Coye says there is still no bad blood between him and JaNa. “I hope she genuinely finds what she’s looking for,” he told Collider.

Love Island USA can be streamed on Peacock.

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