Life outside the “Love Island USA” villa has presented new challenges for Kendall Washington and Nicole Jacky, as they navigate their relationship in the real world.
On the July 27 episode of “The Viall Files” podcast, Washington, 27, opened up about the couple’s future together and their uncertainties about what lies ahead. When asked about the chances he would still be with Jacky during the reunion special on August 19, he couldn’t make any promises.
“It’s not 100 I’d say because there’s no guarantees on what will happen,” Washington explained. “I don’t know the future. I don’t know what’s going to happen in a week or a day. It will be a lie if I said 100 percent chance because I just don’t know. But I believe that when we have those conversations, it can go well.”
Despite the uncertainty, Washington admitted they have continued to use the “love” word after filming, though it “for sure” feels different in reality.
The couple first expressed their love for each other during the Season 6 finale of the show during their “Declaration of Love” speeches, and made a promise to continue their relationship outside of the villa.
However, transitioning from villa life to reality has proven to be a hurdle for the two.
“Getting out of the villa is just an adjustment,” he said. “Nicole and I really want to just work on what we have currently and adjust that to real life.”
“Right now, outside the villa, yes, we are together, and it’s just an adjustment of, ‘OK, what is our life? How do we make this work on the outside?’”
He elaborated on further difficulties with maintaining their relationship since filming wrapped.
“There’s a distance thing, like there’s all of these questions that need to be answered for us,” he added.
The public scrutiny also adds to the couple’s stress, as podcast host Nick Viall stated “people don’t seem to be buying” Washington and Jacky’s relationship.
“We’re honestly just taking it day-by-day because being in the public eye and seeing everyone’s opinions — it affects people differently,” Washington explained.
Currently, both Washington and Jacky, 26, find themselves busy with full schedules after filming for several weeks in Fiji.
Post-show, Washington also dealt with a “private” video leaked online that shows him naked in bed.
“I just want to address the content that came out from my past,” he explained to his social media followers once he received his phone back. “That was something I shared to someone in confidence and trust. It’s unfortunate that it’s no longer private but it is what it is. I want to thank you all for the calls/texts to support me during this time. I love you all for tuning in to watch my journey.”
Despite the controversy — and their struggles with shifting their relationship into everyday life — Washington expressed his commitment to pursuing a relationship with Jacky.
“This isn’t my decision. … It’s in Nicole’s court,” Washington explained to Viall. “At the end of the day, we’re going to respect what we decide on, but it’s at a point when we need to have conversations. We just haven’t done that.”
The highly anticipated “Love Island USA” Season 6 reunion will air on Peacock on August 19.