5 Shocking Revelations Behind Pepe Garcia And Iris Kendall's Unexpected Split After Love Island USA

The whirlwind romance between Pepe Garcia and Iris Kendall, a fan-favorite couple from Love Island USA Season 7, captivated audiences in the villa, but their connection outside the show proved to be short-lived. Despite leaving the Peacock dating series as one of the final four couples, the duo confirmed their separation just weeks after the finale, leaving a trail of speculation, rumors, and dramatic social media activity in their wake. As of December 14, 2025, their split remains one of the most talked-about breakups from the season, prompting a deep dive into the true reasons their post-show journey came to an abrupt end.

The entire saga, from the initial rumors to the public statements and the subsequent drama involving a third cast member, has been a masterclass in reality TV aftermath. Fans, who had rooted for the couple dubbed "Pepiris," were left reeling, searching for answers about what truly transpired away from the cameras. This definitive breakdown uncovers the key moments and major revelations that led to the end of Pepe and Iris's relationship.

Pepe Garcia and Iris Kendall: A Post-Villa Relationship Timeline and Biographies

The relationship between Pepe Garcia and Iris Kendall was a late-bloomer in the Love Island USA Season 7 villa. They coupled up in the final week, quickly forming a strong connection that propelled them to the finale. However, the pressures of the real world, combined with pre-existing issues and outside noise, ultimately proved too much for the budding romance.

• The Untouchable Privacy 7 Secrets Of Rachel Mcadams And Jamie Lindens Life Beyond The Red Carpet E820e

Pepe Garcia Biography & Profile

• Full Name: Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez
• Relationship Status (Current): Single (Following split from Iris Kendall)
• Show Appearance: Love Island USA Season 7
• Role on Show: Original Islander (arrived early in the season)
• Occupation: Model and Fitness Enthusiast
• Hometown: Miami, Florida
• Key Villa Moment: Coupling with Iris Kendall late in the season after several previous pairings.

Iris Kendall Biography & Profile

• Full Name: Iris Kendall
• Relationship Status (Current): Single (Following split from Pepe Garcia; briefly reconciled with TJ Palma)
• Show Appearance: Love Island USA Season 7
• Role on Show: Casa Amor Islander (arrived mid-season)
• Occupation: Social Media Influencer and Entrepreneur
• Hometown: Los Angeles, California
• Key Villa Moment: Forming a connection with Pepe after Casa Amor and making it to the finale.

The couple finished in fourth place, leaving the villa seemingly optimistic about their future. They even appeared together for the reunion filming, though reports suggest there was already significant tension between them regarding their differing views on what a committed relationship entailed. This tension quickly escalated into a full-blown public breakup.

1. The Instagram Purge That Sparked the Breakup Rumors

The first public sign that the "Pepiris" romance was in trouble came not from an official statement, but from a social media purge. Fans of Love Island USA are notoriously observant, and they quickly noticed a significant change in the couple's online presence in late August.

Iris Kendall was the first to act, deleting nearly all of her photos featuring Pepe Garcia from her Instagram profile. Shortly after, fans observed that both Iris and Pepe had unfollowed each other on the platform, the digital equivalent of a relationship death knell in the reality TV world. This sudden, coordinated social media blackout immediately fueled rampant speculation across Reddit and other fan forums that the couple had quietly split, just weeks after the show's finale aired on Peacock. This unofficial confirmation forced the couple to address the situation publicly much sooner than they might have preferred.

• 5 Shocking Facts About Anna Congdon Penn State Sweetheart To Nfl Fiances Social Media Firestorm Cc90e

2. The Official Statements and the Cheating Allegations

Following the intense fan scrutiny, both Pepe and Iris released separate statements confirming their split. Pepe Garcia was the first to speak out, confirming the news to TMZ on August 28. His statement was direct, acknowledging the end of the relationship: "Iris and I are not together anymore. That's just the way it goes sometimes."

Crucially, Pepe used his statement to immediately address and deny the swirling rumors that he had cheated on Iris, which had become a major talking point among the fan base. Iris Kendall followed up with her own statement to E! News, which was notably more introspective and less definitive about the cause of the split.

In her statement, Iris said, "The connection that I formed has ended, and while it isn't how I would have imagined, I will always respect the time we had." While she did not explicitly comment on the cheating rumors, the difference in tone between the two statements—Pepe's defensive denial and Iris's more reflective farewell—left many fans with lingering questions about the true nature of their disagreements and the reasons for their sudden separation.

• Shania Twains Bold Statement Why The Star Chose Nude Photoshoots At 57 Qf9cg

3. The Lingering Tension Over Relationship Expectations

Even before the breakup was official, signs of trouble were evident during the reunion filming. Reports from insiders and discussions on fan threads suggested that Pepe and Iris had significant disagreements about the logistics and expectations of a post-show relationship.

Transitioning from the isolated environment of the villa, where every moment is shared and documented, to the real world, with long distances, career demands, and public scrutiny, can be challenging for any reality TV couple. For Pepe and Iris, these pressures were reportedly compounded by fundamental differences in their vision for their relationship. Sources indicated they had arguments over what it meant to be exclusive and committed outside of the show's bubble. The quick nature of their coupling—coming together in the final week—meant they lacked the deep, foundational relationship that some of the other long-standing couples had developed, making them more susceptible to the pressures of the real world.

4. The TJ Palma Factor: Iris's Reconciliation

The drama surrounding the "Pepiris" split escalated when Iris Kendall was seen spending time with another former Love Island USA contestant, TJ Palma, shortly after the breakup. TJ Palma had been interested in Iris earlier in the season, and their reconciliation post-Pepe added a new layer to the narrative.

The situation became so prominent that Pepe Garcia addressed it directly during an appearance on the "Sorry We're Not Cyrus" podcast. Pepe opened up about the emotional aftermath of the split and the subsequent public reaction to Iris and TJ's renewed connection. He revealed that his social media was "blowing up" with messages from fans telling him to "Get out of there. Leave her."

Pepe's public comments confirmed that the swift move by Iris to reconnect with TJ was a painful and highly public component of the breakup's aftermath, transforming a simple split into a complex, multi-person reality TV scandal that kept the public engaged long after the finale. This development strongly suggests that the breakup was definitive and that both parties were moving on quickly, though not without public drama.

5. The Definitive End and Lasting Impact on the Love Island USA Fandom

Ultimately, the story of Pepe and Iris serves as a cautionary tale about the difficulty of translating a "villa romance" into a lasting, real-world relationship. Despite the hopes of the *Love Island USA* Season 7 audience, the couple, who were one of the newer pairings going into the finale, simply could not make their connection survive the transition.

Their breakup, confirmed in late August, marked the end of another hopeful reality TV pairing. The intense public interest, fueled by the cheating rumors and the subsequent TJ Palma reconciliation, highlights the deep investment fans have in the lives of these contestants. While both Pepe Garcia and Iris Kendall have since moved on to focus on their individual careers and personal lives, their brief but dramatic post-show relationship continues to be a major talking point, solidifying its place as one of the most memorable and controversial splits in the show's history. The saga reminds fans that the pressures of celebrity, distance, and differing expectations often prove to be the ultimate test for any couple forged in the intense, isolated environment of the villa.