‘Love Island USA’ Charlie on Hannah and Pepe’s relationship
Charlie Georgiou watched his “Love Island USA” episodes — but doesn’t care to see Hannah Fields’ new relationship with Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez.
Spoiler alert! The following story references previous episodes of Season 7 of “Love Island USA,” so beware if you haven’t seen them.
“Love bombing” has become the buzzword of choice on this season of “Love Island USA.”
The term, used to describe an emotional manipulation tactic, has been a recurring theme since the very start. Take, for example, when Ace suggested that Jeremiah was love bombing Huda during a conversation with Taylor.
“But don’t you think that’s love bombing, like, off the rip,” Ace says in the clip. “Like, that’s not crazy?”
Jeremiah and Huda stuck together, only ending their relationship after America voted to have him pair up with Iris, a bombshell contestant who joined the show during Week 2.
The couple, specifically Huda, were subject to intense scrutiny and judgment from the other cast members who felt that they failed to get to know other people early in the process and were ultimately a toxic pairing.
Jeremiah and Huda’s drama aside, this idea that the cast have, or are currently, love bombing each other has persisted long after the initial and perhaps most overt “display.”
But what does it really mean to be love-bombed? Here’s what we know.
What is love bombing? And what does it look like?
Love bombing, a form of psychological and emotional abuse, is characterized by overt romantic gestures, either in the form of gifts or affection, in an attempt to win the other person over or solidify the relationship quickly.
Or, as clinical psychologist Ramani Durvasula told USA TODAY in August 2021, it is “too much too fast.” While the grandiose gestures may seem romantic and well-intentioned, love bombing is almost always followed by devaluation and criticism.
Some common examples of love bombing include whisking someone off on a romantic weekend getaway for an early date, or showering someone with lavish and excessive gifts early on, Durvasula said. During the love bombing phase, they may also want to open up about very intense, personal topics in the name of intimacy.
“It feels almost like a fairy tale, but like an anxiety-inducing fairy tale. I can promise you that deepest, darkest fear you shared with them on your third date, it’s going to come back and bite you in six months,” Durvasula said. “It’s really them gathering intel.”
The goal, ultimately, is to “hook you into something … and create a manipulative relationship that benefits their own psychological needs,” registered psychotherapist Denise Dunne previously told USA TODAY.
Authenticity, which may expose the annoying and unattractive parts of yourself as the relationship progresses, is what differentiates love bombing from a blossoming romance, where instead you’ll be accepted as you get more comfortable, according to Dunne.
Contributing: Jenny Ryu, USA TODAY
