“love island” star Austin Shepard becomes aware of his struggle with addiction. During a podcast appearance, the 27-year-old opened up about his relapses while filming the series’ spin-off, “Beyond the Villa.”
Austin Shepard is no stranger to attention, as he was also the center of attention on the latest season of “Love Island” after netizens called him out for apparently sharing offensive content.
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Shepard revealed he was 11 days sober on TMZ’s “Previously On” podcast. The ‘Love Island’ alum shared that before reaching this point, he relapsed into using opioids while filming season 2 of the show’s spin-off, ‘Beyond the Villa.’
“No one knew,” he shared. “I’m a pretty manipulative, functional addict until it becomes so unmanageable, like it did. But I can do stupid things for a while.”
Shepard likened himself to a “salesman,” adding that he had a tendency to “wave and pretend everything’s fine.”
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Austin Shepard revealed his co-stars noticed a change in his behavior
Elsewhere, during her appearance on the podcast, Shepard showed love to her co-stars, who noticed the reality star’s behavior changed while filming ‘Beyond the Villa.’
“Charlie started contacting us last month and he was like, ‘Brother, what’s going on?'” he said. “I got pretty real with him, told him pretty much everything. He wished me love, gave me love. Same with TJ, Iris. They sent me love.”
Shepard also became aware of the difficulties he faced in managing his sobriety.
“I know how this road goes,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of friends who aren’t here today who unfortunately passed away and it’s either death or a long life of misery.”
“It was finally my moment of clarity,” he said.
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Austin Shepard sought professional help
For Shepard, gaining clarity was just one of the things that helped him cope with his struggle. He also admitted to seeking professional help at another point in his journey.
“There was one night I was sitting there, I was just going crazy,” he said. “I hadn’t slept in four nights. I was very sick. I was just throwing up. It was horrible. I was like, ‘I have to go somewhere, medically.'”
The facility Shepard went to gave him excellent care, he said, adding that the support of his family members helped him grow stronger.
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Shepard faced backlash after sharing controversial posts
According to a previous report from The Blast, Shepard faced backlash from “Love Island” viewers during the summer of 2025 after reportedly sharing offensive content on her social media channels.
“I want to take a moment to address my recent repost that offended some of you,” he wrote online. “As you all know, I have a very dry sense of humor and I really didn’t think twice before sharing this content.”
Shepard had faced criticism throughout his time in the “Love Island” villa, as eagle-eyed social media sleuths called out the reality star for his previous posts before joining the cast.
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“I recognize that my choice of content did not resonate well with everyone, and for that, I sincerely apologize,” Shepard shared. “I am committed to learning from this experience and being more thoughtful in the future. Thank you for your understanding and for holding me accountable.”
Days before his apology, Shepard made headlines after responding to a social media user who called the Michigan alum a “racist bigot.”
“I’m only going to give this attention once because it’s really crazy,” Shepard said in response. “Are you fucking stupid? Honestly, are you stupid? Don’t you think so?”
Another ‘Love Island’ star returns to controversial post
Shepard wasn’t the only “Love Island” star in hot water. A previous report from The Blast states that Yulissa Escobar, who also appeared on Season 7 of the competition series, was kicked off the show during the second episode after old clips of her using a racial slur resurfaced.
Online, Escobar attempted to own up to her mistakes, sharing that she had previously used the N-word without “fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it.”
Escobar went on to say that while she meant no harm, she began to understand how serious her words were after she was fired from the show.
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“I have changed a lot since then, not just in the way I speak, but also in the way I present myself, how I carry myself and how I honor the experiences of others,” Escobar continued. “Growth means recognizing when we’ve been wrong, even if it’s uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and responsibility.”