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Love Island USA Season 2's Justine and Caleb Open Up About Being the Franchise's First Black Couple to Win

Plus, Cely and Johnny reveal what they learned from their Casa Amor ordeal

keishahatchettbiopic.jpg
Keisha Hatchett

America has spoken, and Love Island's Justine and Caleb are the winning couple for Season 2! Caleb found himself with the envelope containing the $100,000 grand prize and had the choice of either keeping the money and walking away single or splitting the prize and keeping the girl. Caleb, of course, agreed to split the money with Justine and remain coupled up. With this win, Justine and Caleb are the first Black couple to take home the top prize.

It's been an interesting journey for the fan-favorite couple, who weren't each other's first choices but wound up being the most solid pairing in the villa. Justine was originally coupled up with Jeremiah before recoupling with Tre, who was way more into her than she was him. Meanwhile, Caleb entered the villa on Day 5 and immediately hit it off with Rachel, officially pairing up on Day 9. Once Justine realized she had a much stronger connection with Caleb, however, she made her move and a new power couple was born. 

Follow the Love Island USA Season 2 Cast on Instagram

"It feels really amazing," Justine told TV Guide of her win with Caleb. "One of the moments that I realized that it was like really Caleb for me is when he got to see his parents and his dad was able to tell him how proud he is. He is an example to not only his brothers and sisters, but also to other black boys and men out there. And so, to me, it was really beautiful to be that example, in both of us."

Justine's Love Island journey was particularly difficult in the beginning as she struggled to form a substantial connection during her first week in the villa and contemplated leaving before Caleb arrived. 

"I definitely had my moments where I was ready to tap out and call it quits," Justine explained. "But I was able to stay in it and stay hopeful because I am definitely a hopeless romantic and I knew that I wanted to leave here with what I came here for. And you know, patience was definitely practiced in the villa. In due time, Caleb came along and it was uphill from there."

Touching on his experience in the villa, Caleb opened up about how his relationship with Justine taught him to express his feelings in a way he hadn't before. 

"All the growth and vulnerability I was able to display is all just a result of being with Justine," Caleb said. "I typically am pretty reserved, and even more so, reserved when it comes to my emotions. But I found myself with such an incredible woman and in order for us, in our relationship, to take those next steps, it became imperative that I knock down some of those metaphorical barriers. [I am]  super appreciative that I was able to go in there and meet someone that helped me do that in such a short amount of time."

Justine Ndiba and Caleb Corprew, Love Island

Justine Ndiba and Caleb Corprew, Love Island

Adam Torgerson/CBS Entertainment

Cely and Jonny also made an intriguing pair this season, though for entirely different reasons. The couple got together after Johnny chose to steal Cely from Tre, and they've been inseparable ever since. However, their relationship hit a huge roadblock during Casa Amor week. While Cely chose not to pursue a connection with any of the new guys, Johnny's head turned for the new girl Mercades. He and Mercades got hot and heavy on the first day, fully making out during and outside of challenges. 

Though Johnny confessed to Cely after returning to the villa, he left out some key details — like an under-the-covers make-out session — and Cely began questioning whether or not she could trust him. After numerous apologies and promises to be a better man, however, Johnny eventually won Cely over and they made things official — becoming the first pair on the show to declare themselves in a relationship. They may have not have won Love Island — they came in second place — but the pair did walk away with some valuable lessons after the Casa Amor ordeal. 

"I think there was a lot of individual growth and personal growth for Johnny and I," Cely said. "I found my voice in that moment. I was able to voice the way that I felt, which was huge for me because I've always struggled with that. And I think Johnny experienced a lot of personal growth, too. At the end of the day, it made us so much stronger and prepared us for anything that we can take on in the real world. So looking back now, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"For me, it was an experience," Johnny added. "Coming back, telling it like it was, dealing with the impact it had on Cely and just working on my patience, my understanding, just listening, and changing myself for the better for the two of us. It was definitely a rough couple of weeks after that, just getting back from it. We definitely are stronger and we've grown because of it. Things on the outside are definitely going to be difficult after this, just because of all the added stress and pressure, but I think because of that experience, we're more than prepared."

Cely Vazquez and Johnny Middlebrooks, Love Island

Cely Vazquez and Johnny Middlebrooks, Love Island

Adam Torgerson/CBS Entertainment

Both plan to move to Los Angeles, which will make it easier for them to continue their relationship beyond the show. And while Cely and Johnny might be ready to head back into the real world, that doesn't mean they'll have to navigate the challenges of a new relationship alone. Johnny revealed that he's talking to Caleb about moving in together, while Cely admitted that she's working hard on convincing her villa bestie Justine, who lives in New Jersey, to make the move to the West Coast with her.

"I'm forcing this girl to move to LA with me. I'm like, 'You are gonna be my roommate.' I am literally convincing her every single second that I get," she said. 

However, Justine isn't entirely sold on the idea of living with Cely. "It all sounds very appealing and just when I'm sold, I wake up next to her in the morning, loud banging and her voice just like in your ear. And so, it was those moments where I'd honestly be like, 'I might have to rethink this.' But now that I've gotten a little bit of a break from that, I think it's a definite possibility," Justine explained, adding that she's also tempted to head to Los Angeles since Caleb plans to move to there as well. 

"I'm actually already in LA for work so there may be, in the near future, a Team Caleb with Team Johnny household out in LA," Caleb added. With Justine, Caleb, Johnny, and Cely potentially living in Los Angeles together, we're keeping our fingers crossed for a spin-off. 

In the meantime, both couples will focus on readjusting to the real world after spending months sequestered away in Las Vegas. For Caleb, that means spending some real alone time with Justine. "I want to spend some time together away from cameras and microphones and just be a little secluded, maybe for a moment before we really dive into the real world," he explained. 

Meanwhile, Cely hinted at a potential return to television in the future. "It was, honestly, the most incredible experience and I will never be able to put into words the way that I feel walking away from this. Everything happened so perfectly," she said. "I've never felt more me than being surrounded by a million cameras. Like, I'm going to be chasing that high for the rest of my life. It is something I will never forget. If I had the opportunity to do something like this again — obviously not to find love because I've already found that — but like TV or anything, then the sky is obviously the limit."

Seasons 1 and 2 of Love Island USA are now streaming on CBS All Access. 

Love Island

Love Island

Adam Torgerson/CBS Entertainment