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    1. Culture
    2. TV shows

    Meet Sydney Paight, the 'Love Island Games' Bombshell Who Has Everyone Talking

    The 'Love Island USA' alum entered the villa with a ton of lore—including romantic history with another cast member.

    Quinci LeGardye#039;s avatar
    By Quinci LeGardye
    Published 23 September 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    sydney from love island games season 2 poses in a red white and blue flag outfit
    (Image credit: Ben Symons/PEACOCK via Getty Images)
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    As fans of reality TV shows like Perfect Match and The Traitors know, it is very fun when reality stars arrive on a show with prior baggage to discuss. Now, Love Island Games fans who clocked in to the franchise with Love Island USA season 7 or season 6 have been introduced to one of the franchise's buzziest stars.

    On September 22, Love Island USA and Australia alum Sydney Paight entered the villa as a bombshell and reunited with her ex-boyfriend, Isaiah Campbell. (As one Reddit user pointed out, Sydney and Isaiah walked so Kaylor and Aaron could run.) Now that Sydney's back for a third season, it's time to learn more about the fan favorite and former runner-up. Below, read on for a breakdown of everything you need to know about Sydney Paight.

    Sydney Paight is a model and TV personality from Katy, Texas.

    Sydney Paight, 25, grew up in Katy, Texas, just outside of Houston, and studied Business Marketing at Texas Tech University. She's now a full-time model and influencer based in L.A., though she previously worked in tech and creator partnerships. In her first Love Island bio, she said that she aspires to be "someone's trophy wife."

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    Sydney Paight, USA amp;amp; Australia; Marvin Anthony, France; in #039;Love Island Games#039; season 2.

    Sydney Paight and Marvin Anthony enter the Love Island Games villa.

    (Image credit: Ben Symons/PEACOCK)

    Sydney Paight and Isaiah Campbell broke up after coming in second place on 'Love Island USA' season 4.

    Both Sydney Paight and Isaiah Campbell arrived on Love Island USA season 4 as OGs and coupled up on Day 1. Even though they were tested, they ultimately stayed together all the way to Casa Amor. At Casa Amor, Isaiah (a.k.a. Zay) got together with a new arrival named Phoebe, while Sydney spent the week apart crying over him. Isaiah even brought Phoebe back with him to the main villa, but when he saw Sydney alone, he realized he had made a mistake and won her back. The pair ultimately said "I love you" to each other and left the show as an exclusive couple, winning second place in the final vote.

    After season 4 ended in summer 2022, Sydney and Isaiah continued to date long-distance for over a year, with Sydney based in LA and Isaiah in Florida. In December 2023, the pair revealed that they had broken up. As reported by The Swoon, while Isaiah was on a weekend out in Jersey City, Sydney received a video of him kissing another woman. Isaiah claimed that he had blacked out that night, and he couldn't afford to visit Sydney and talk it out face-to-face, so they didn't reconcile.

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    Sydney Paight and Isaiah Campbell in the 'Love Island USA' season 4 finale.

    (Image credit: Casey Durkin/Peacock via Getty Images)

    In a podcast interview from August 2025, Sydney reflected on the relationship. "There was real love there," she said at the time. "I honestly consider that the first relationship I ever had where I experienced love, especially on an adult level. I didn’t know what else to do. I cut it off. I did what I thought was right in the moment. I hope he’s doing well. There’s no hate there."

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    Culture Writer

    Quinci LeGardye is a Culture Writer at Marie Claire. She currently lives in her hometown of Los Angeles after periods living in NYC and Albuquerque, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. In 2021, she joined Marie Claire as a contributor, becoming a full-time writer for the brand in 2024. She contributes day-to-day-content covering television, movies, books, and pop culture in general. She has also written features, profiles, recaps, personal essays, and cultural criticism for outlets including Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Vulture, The A.V. Club, Catapult, and others. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her watching the latest K-drama, or giving a concert performance in her car.

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