Love Island star denies criminal record after villa removal over stabbing claims

Love Island contestant Gabriel Garland has spoken out for the first time since being booted from the villa.

Last week, the 24-year-old model was removed from the show before he could even make his TV debut, reportedly after bosses were alerted to his involvement in a past stabbing.

On June 28, ITV confirmed his axing, telling Metro: ‘Gabriel has now left the villa and will not be returning.’

Reports claimed that Garland was at a party in Casewick Road, London, on New Year’s Eve in 2019, where two victims were stabbed by his friend, Vitor Mazzer, who was aged 18 then.

While Garland was named in Mazzer’s court documents, having allegedly had an altercation with the victims, he was not charged with any offences.

Now, the TV personality, who entered Casa Amor on day 23 of the current season, has shared a video on Instagram, denying that he has a criminal record as he shut down speculation.

‘It is a shame that I’m making this video, but after everything that’s been said about me over the past couple days, I just wanted to clear a few things up,’ he began.

‘There was an incident that happened at a party I was at when I was a teenager,’ Garland confirmed, filming himself speaking solemnly from his bedroom.

‘This incident is obviously one that should not be taken lightly and was very traumatic for everyone concerned.’

He continued: ‘I just wanted to make it clear that the legal judge has found no wrongdoing against me, and I don’t have a criminal record.

‘This has obviously resulted in me leaving Love Island, which is very disappointing, especially from a personal perspective.’

Garland went on to say that he had already started ‘forming a really, really strong connection’ in the villa, which viewers ‘didn’t get to see’.

‘But I just wanted to tell you guys this directly, instead of having headlines say it for me,’ he concluded to his followers, signing off by thanking people for their ‘kind and supportive messages’.

‘It really means a lot, and I’m very grateful, because I do just wanna move forward from this in a positive way.’

The comments section was quickly flooded with positive messages, urging Garland to keep his ‘head up’ and wishing him ‘the best’.

While Garland faced no legal repercussions or charges after the stabbing, in contrast, Mazzer was sentenced to three and a half years in jail, having been found guilty of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent. His appeal was denied in April 2024.

Aged 17 at the time, Garland was given a character statement by his mother in court.

Garland’s removal from the reality show came shortly after fellow Islander George Knight also left prematurely. He cited ‘personal’ matters, which he later disclosed as the health issues of an immediate family member.

An ITV spokesperson echoed that he would not be returning due to ‘private reasons’, which is still understood to be true, although it later emerged that Knight had also been asked to leave due to using a slur.

Consequently, audiences have demanded stricter background checks on future contestants, although due to Garland facing no convictions, this is likely why it wasn’t flagged to bosses when he applied.

The other five boys who entered Love Island’s famously scandalous Casa Amor segment have remained on the show, along with six new girls. Garland was not replaced.

ITV execs declined to comment further on the matter previously due to their ‘duty of care towards participants’.

Meanwhile, Love Island controversy continues across the pond, as a star of the USA edition apologised this week for using racist slurs on social media.

Alannah Keyser was removed from the villa mid-episode last Thursday, having been discovered to have used the N-word in a TikTok, singing along to Roddy Ricch’s 2019 song, The Box.

The 21-year-old said it was ‘never [her] intention’ to offend anyone, insisting that the word is ‘not in [her] vocabulary anymore’.

Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.