Amaya Espinal Shares Who’s In Her Love Island USA Group Chat

Amaya Espinal — aka Amaya Papaya — became a fan favorite on Season 7 of Love Island USA for her “sensitive gangster” personality. Whether she was singing her very own hype-up song or having a case of the zoomies, her star power was undeniable. Being voted the season’s winner was only a matter of time.

Three months since leaving Fiji, Espinal’s life looks very different than that of the cardiac nurse who first entered the villa. Between filming the Love island USA reunion in August and hitting NYFW parties in September, the 25-year-old New Yorker has kept busy. Already, she’s worked with brands like Garnier USA and Liquid I.V. “If you know Amaya, you know she's hard working, so there's always going to be things coming up,” she says, before quipping, “Stay woke.”

Now, Espinal is taking on another project. She teamed up with Poppi for the prebiotic soda brand’s newest flavor, Amaya Island Colada, inspired by America’s favorite islander. She’s also joining Poppi’s Major Flavor Tour. On Oct. 9, she’s traveling to Penn State University for the tour’s first stop, where she’ll be posing for photos, mixing drinks, and connecting with students. “I’m most looking forward to meeting students on a personal level. I'm a social butterfly,” she says. “I’m also excited for them to drink the colada!”

But post-villa life is not all glamour and personalized sodas. There are also some downsides to the sudden onset of fame. “I’m surprised by the extremes people will go to send hate,” she says. Her relationship with fellow winner Bryan Arenales did not exactly go as expected, either. Espinal jokes, “Who needs a man when you've got a Poppi can? Period.”

Generally, though, she feels connected to her fellow castmates. “We're nothing but love here,” she says. “Regardless of whatever we went through with each other in the villa, we will always be bound by our experience and be somewhat of a family in that way.”

Below, Espinal dishes on her Love Island group chat, her relationship with host Ariana Madix, and the most famous person in her DMs.

Elite Daily: What’s your favorite meme of yourself?

Amaya Espinal: My song [“I never said I was perfect”], because I just talk so much. I forgot I sang that, but now I see how catchy it is.

ED: What are your top three Poppi flavors?

AE: My No. 1 most favorite right now is Amaya Island Colada. I love Strawberry Lemon and Doc Pop, too.

ED: People were surprised it wasn’t papaya-flavored. How did that happen?

AE: We tried so hard to do a papaya flavor, but it just wasn't working out. If we could have done it, we would have.

ED: Do you have a Love Island group chat?

AE: I have one with just me, Huda [Mustafa], and Iris [Kendall]. It’s called “Hudirisaya” — we mixed our names into one concoction.

ED: What has been your biggest pinch-me moment?

AE: Meeting Selena Gomez. That was so amazing, I love her.

ED: Best advice you’ve gotten from Ariana Madix?

AE: She always helps me stay grounded. She keeps me focused on positivity without giving flight to any type of negativity. I really feel protected when I'm around her. She definitely helps calm me.

ED: Who’s the most famous person in your DMs?

AE: Bretman Rock.

ED: Who was your first celeb crush?

AE: Chad Michael Murray in A Cinderella Story.

ED: The last show you marathon-watched?

AE: Gossip Girl, classic.

ED: Who are your favorite people to follow on social media right now?

AE: The other Islanders from past seasons, like JaNa [Craig], Kaylor [Martin], and Serena [Page] from Season 6.

ED: Do you believe in astrology?

AE: For fun, yeah.

ED: What are your big three?

AE: I’m a Scorpio, but I don't know about my big three — actually, I have the Co-Star app. I’m a Sagittarius moon, and my rising is Pisces.

ED: What are you manifesting right now?

AE: Health, success, more blessings, and faith.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.