Amaya Papaya, One Year Later

I didn’t go on Love Island USA to be an influencer. A lot of people don’t know this, but my ex-boyfriend passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 2024, and that was the first loss I’ve experienced in my life. It took me a while to find a purpose again and process the grief. So when the opportunity to join the show came around last spring, I thought: I’m done crying. I took it as God telling me that I’m ready to start dating again, and that I should take a chance and do something different than just staying at home. That’s why your girl was so emotional on the show!

I didn’t expect so many viewers would resonate with me. The other Islanders and I got used to being cut off from the world, so when I got my phone back and saw how many supporters I had, it felt unreal. I had impostor syndrome, honestly. It didn’t even really hit me until I started meeting fans in person: Oh my God, these are real-life people. I went from being Amaya Espinal — just a Brooklyn nurse with no following — to being Amaya Papaya with all my funny sayings. It has been a blessing overall, but it definitely was a big transition.

The show offers some resources for getting representation and doing brand deals, but it looks different for everyone. I know some castmates who went with the show’s recommendations, while others already had teams in place the minute we stepped out of the Villa. They’re like, “Yeah, I already signed with an agency six months ago.” I don’t think you should just jump at the first option, so I was taking meetings trying to get a sense of people’s energy. These are the people that you’re going to be around all the time, and you want to be able to trust them. When I’m nervous about a red carpet or a photo shoot, my team calms me down and helps me feel grounded. Your team is not just going to be your team — they’re going to be your family.

“I actually would love to go back to school to get my PhD. I can see myself in my 50s being a professor — but a cute one. They better call me Professor Papaya.”

It’s important to take your time and really interview these people. I went to one agency where they introduced me to different departments, and they all kept on saying my catchphrase wrong. They said “blessed gangster” instead of “sensitive gangster.” I was like, Clearly you didn’t watch the show. Which is fine — but why lie about it? That instantly was a red flag to me. I’d rather you be transparent than fake it.

Some people I met with had a limited view of what reality stars could accomplish. In meetings, they’d talk about bringing me other work beyond reality TV, but energy-wise and intuition-wise, I could just tell they didn’t see a long-term vision for me. But look at Kim Kardashian. Look at Cardi B. As long as you believe in yourself and work for your vision, you can do anything you want. If I wake up tomorrow and want to be an astronaut, of course I would have to go to school, but it is possible. Even though I had stopped nursing by the time I went on Love Island, I actually would love to go back to school to get my PhD. I can see myself in my 50s being a professor — but a cute one. They better call me Professor Papaya.

Building a career after a reality show takes a lot of self-reflection. You have to ask yourself: What do I want to represent? I want the Amaya Papaya brand to stand for diversity and self-confidence. A lot of my supporters are teenage girls who look up to me, so I want to make sure my brand is impactful for them. I want them to know that just because they feel misunderstood, it doesn’t have any bearing on their value. Also, hello, I’m a Brooklyn girl, so when people think of Amaya Papaya, I want them to think about me rapping, too — my music is coming out soon. We outside this summer, OK?

I think I’ve been successful in reality TV because I’m very unpredictable. You might start with plan A, but Amaya doesn’t even do plan B, C, or D — she goes all the way to Z. I’m also very comfortable in my own skin — AI can never copy me. So I’ll keep doing reality TV as it works with my schedule. Why not? I did go back and forth about deciding to join Beyond the Villa, but I think you’re always going to have an angsty feeling when you’re starting down a new path. As long as I know that my actions are pure and that I represent who I am, then that’s all that matters.

I would tell future Islanders to be as open as you can. I’m not saying you have to share your whole get-ready-with-me routine and your grandma’s secret recipe, but don’t try to have this poker face of a person that you’re not. The audience can see beyond that, and eventually that mask will fall off. Being OK with being vulnerable is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my reality TV journey. It’s definitely hard sometimes. It can feel like weakness. But it’s where I’ve always found strength.

As told to Nolan Feeney.