So, you’re scrolling through your feed and that one Love Island USA season 5 couple pops back into your head. You know the ones. The "scandalous" pair everyone thought had a secret pact because they lived ten minutes away from each other in Scottsdale. Carmen Kocourek and Kenzo Nudo. For a while there, they were the couple that felt like they might actually beat the reality TV odds. They moved in together, they were doing the "real life" thing, and honestly, they seemed pretty solid.
But the short answer? No. Are Carmen and Kenzo still together? Not anymore. They officially pulled the plug on their relationship in July 2024, nearly a year after the finale.
If you’re looking for a dramatic "I caught you" moment, it wasn’t quite that—at least not publicly. But the way it went down on social media was definitely enough to make anyone who lived through the MySpace era feel a little bit of secondhand anxiety.
The Breakup That Shook the Villa Fandom
It’s always the Instagram grid that tells the story first, isn't it? Before the official statements even dropped, fans noticed the "scrub." Carmen's photos of Kenzo? Poof. Gone. They unfollowed each other. Then, in a move that felt very human and very messy, they followed each other back for a second, only to delete everything again. It was a rollercoaster of "are they or aren't they" for about 48 hours.
Then came the text on a black background.
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In July 2024, Carmen took to her Instagram Stories to confirm the split. She told her followers that they were "headed down different paths" and basically wanted different things. It sounded like the standard PR-friendly breakup line until you started digging into the timing. They had just moved to Milwaukee together in May. Moving to a new state for someone only to break up two months later? That is a rough pill to swallow.
Kenzo’s Side of the Story
Kenzo didn't stay silent. He posted his own video update. He looked a bit drained but insisted there was "nothing but love" between them. He cited "different lifestyles" and "different goals" as the main culprits. He claimed it was a mutual decision after trying hard to make it work.
But let’s be real. The "mutual" narrative felt a little shaky to people watching closely. Around the time of the split, Carmen allegedly reposted a TikTok about cheating. She also used Miley Cyrus’s "Flowers" in a story. If you know anything about "breakup language" in 2024 and 2025, those aren't exactly the signs of a clean, "we just want different house paint colors" separation.
Wait, Is Carmen Dating Someone Else Now?
This is where the plot thickens. If you’ve been keeping up with the Love Island multiverse, you know the cast members tend to stay in the same circles. Fast forward to July 2025, and Carmen basically broke the internet (the reality TV corner of it, anyway) by hard-launching a new relationship.
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She’s now dating Connor Newsum from Love Island USA Season 6.
Yeah, the crossover nobody saw coming. Connor posted a photo of them together with the caption "an update," and Carmen confirmed it on her end too. It seems like she’s completely closed the chapter on Kenzo and moved on to another Islander. It’s kinda wild how the villa ecosystem works—it’s like they have a private GPS that only leads to other contestants.
The "Scam" Rumors: Were They Ever Real?
You can't talk about Carmen and Kenzo without mentioning the conspiracy theories. Remember the Scottsdale thing? The fact that they both worked out at the same gym and lived five miles apart before the show?
Fans were convinced they were a "pre-made" couple who went on the show just for the $100k. They even looked "too comfortable" together from day one. Kenzo's reaction when Carmen stayed loyal during Casa Amor was so over-the-top that people called it bad acting.
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Looking back now, the fact that they actually moved to a different state together (Wisconsin) and tried to build a life for nearly a year makes the "scam" theory look a bit weak. If you're just doing it for the cameras, you usually don't sign a lease in Milwaukee in the dead of winter. It seems like they were a real couple who just couldn't handle the pressure of the "real world" once the Fiji tan faded.
Why Do These Couples Always Fail?
It’s easy to be cynical. You see these people "falling in love" over three weeks and then moving in together before they even know how the other person likes their coffee. Carmen and Kenzo's downfall seemed to be the classic "post-show transition."
- The Move: They went from the Scottsdale sun to Milwaukee. That’s a massive culture shock.
- The "Different Goals": Carmen was graduating and starting a new career; Kenzo was focused on his fitness/travel brand.
- The Intensity: Living together after only "dating" in a villa is basically relationship speed-running. Sometimes you just hit the wall.
What Are They Doing Now?
Currently, Carmen is living her best life in Wisconsin (and seemingly spending a lot of time with Connor). She’s leaned heavily into the influencer lifestyle, focusing on fashion and "new chapters."
Kenzo, on the other hand, is back to his roots. He’s still doing the fitness and mindset coaching thing. He seems to have stayed in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area after the Milwaukee experiment failed. He’s active on social media, but you won’t find a trace of Carmen on his grid. The "remained friends" thing he mentioned in his breakup video? That doesn't seem to have translated into public interactions. They’ve gone completely radio silent on each other.
The Real Takeaway for Fans
If you were rooting for them, it’s a bummer. They were one of the more "stable" couples of Season 5, especially compared to the chaos of some of the others. But in the world of reality TV, a one-year relationship is actually a pretty long run.
Next Steps for You:
If you want to see how the new couple is doing, you can check out Carmen and Connor’s recent posts on Instagram. They’ve been pretty open about their travel lately. Or, if you’re still feeling nostalgic for Season 5, most of the "Where Are They Now" drama is happening over on TikTok, where the cast members are surprisingly vocal about their old feuds. Just don't expect a Carmen and Kenzo reunion anytime soon—that ship has officially sailed.