Booted “Love Island” star Sean Reifel has responded to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, mayor William J. Reynolds after the politician blasted the 29-year-old for leaving his job as a cop to film the Peacock reality show. During an episode of “Love Island: Aftersun,” cameras captured Reifel’s reactions to Reynolds’ claims. While discussing the moment with producers, Reifel admitted he was surprised by Reynolds’ words, as he had allegedly had a candid conversation with his employer about his plans.
In the first episode of “Aftersun,” the talk-show component of Peacock’s “Love Island USA,” Reifel broke his silence on Reynolds’ scathing statement about his decision to leave his job as a cop to film the series.
“I guess he’s upset. That’s interesting,” Reifel said.
Later, Reifel expressed his confusion over the mayor’s statements, claiming that he had an open and honest conversation about where he was going.
“I definitely had a sit down with my job and told them exactly where I was going and what was happening, and they asked me to put in for unpaid leave,” Reifel shared.
Reifel Was ‘Bothered’ By The Mayor’s Public Statements About Him
Elsewhere in the episode, Reifel said he was irked by the mayor’s public comments about him, given that he was reportedly praised by the department for his commitment and dedication to the city just before he left.
“It does bother me because they – just before I left – gave me awards for like, with my partners, taking a lady out of a building on fire and talking someone off a roof that was mentally ill. So, to give me those, and then do something like this? I just don’t understand,” said Reifel.
While it appeared Reifel had more to say about the situation, he chose to keep his words to a minimum.
“I don’t want to say anything bad about them. I know things can be taken out of context. Everyone in the department knew where I was going,” he said.
Williams Slammed Reifel For Leaving Post As A Police Officer To Film ‘Love Island’
For those who may be unfamiliar with the mayor’s comments, he alleged that Reifel left the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, high and dry when he walked away from his job as a police officer to find love on TV.
“Our police department spent a lot of time training and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy. We are disappointed he left as we now have another vacancy in our department that is impossible to fill until next year,” Williams said. “I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer.”
The mayor wasn’t the only public official with something negative to say. Bethlehem police Chief Michelle Kott shared a similar statement, saying that while she’s a fan of Reifel’s, she was “disappointed” in him.
“Just because we work so incredibly hard to try to recruit the best people we can to be part of the Bethlehem Police Department,” she said, according to The Morning Call.
Tragedy Hits The ‘Love Island’ Villa
Speaking of “Love Island,” several outlets, including NBC News, confirmed yesterday, June 15, that one of the show’s executive producers, James Barker, died “after suffering an unexpected medical emergency” while filming in Fiji.
While information about his sudden and unfortunate passing has been kept to a minimum, the streaming giant will dedicate part of tonight’s episode (June 16) to honoring him.
Peacock also released a statement about Barker following his death, calling the 40-year-old “a beloved and greatly valued member” of the production team. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to James’ family, friends, and colleagues,” the statement continued.
Barker’s Partner Breaks His Silence
Barker’s death has negatively impacted several people, including his partner, Adam Roth. While speaking with NBC News, Roth called Barker “the absolute light and love of my life.”
“He brought joy and brilliance to everything he touched. James was such a champion of the community of young music artists he was able to introduce to audiences on ‘Love Island,’” Roth continued.
Continuing, Roth said he was proud of Barker’s work on the series before adding that he was “thankful for the time we had and the memories we made together.”