BuzzFeed Addresses Backlash After ‘Tasty’ Post Suggests V*olence Toward ‘Love Island USA’ star Chelley Bissainthe, Pledges To ‘Promote Black Joy’

August 14, 2025 by TJB Writer in Reality TV with 0 Comments

BuzzFeed Addresses Backlash After ‘Tasty’ Post Suggests V*olence Toward ‘Love Island USA’ star Chelley Bissainthe, Pledges To ‘Promote Black Joy’

BuzzFeed has issued an apology to “Love Island USA” contestant Michelle “Chelley” Bissainthe after its food vertical “Tasty” posted — and quickly deleted — an Instagram graphic in early July suggesting it would make her “a bowl of fruit, Goldfish, and a knuckle sandwich.”

The remark drew immediate backlash, with Bissainthe’s team calling it “disturbing, disgusting, and unacceptable,” adding, “We will not accept a narrative in which Chelley deserves violence.”

The outlet’s apology, written by two Black staffers, acknowledged that “this mistake deeply hurt members of the Black community, both internally and in our audience.”

In listicle form, it outlined 11 steps for addressing offensive behavior, beginning with “take time to listen to your audience and employees about how it impacted them.”

One Black female employee said, “Darker skin is automatically seen as aggressive.” Another admitted, “My trust in my company has faltered.” BuzzFeed pledged to “promote Black joy, protect Black women, and… steer… toward inclusivity.”