It happened fast. One minute they were the steady, "safe" couple of Love Island USA Season 6, and the next, they were ghosting each other’s social media feeds. If you’re asking did kendall and nicole break up, the short answer is yes. They are officially over.
But the "how" and the "why" are way messier than what we saw on the screen. Most reality TV breakups are about distance or "busy schedules." This one was about a massive privacy violation, a lie told in a moment of panic, and a reunion that basically acted as a firing squad for their relationship.
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The August Breakup: Why Kendall and Nicole Called It Quits
The split didn't happen in Fiji. It happened in the harsh light of a Dallas-to-Sacramento long-distance reality. On August 20, 2024, just twenty-four hours after the Love Island USA Season 6 reunion aired, Kendall Washington and Nicole Jacky posted matching—yet very different—statements on their Instagram Stories.
Kendall was the one who pulled the plug. He admitted it. He called her and ended things, citing that the relationship had reached a point where it was "not healthy" for either of them to continue. Nicole’s post felt a bit more blindsided. She told her followers that just two days prior, they had agreed to work on things. She was even planning a trip to see him in Texas.
Then, the phone call.
Honestly, the timeline is brutal. They went from trying to "mend the lie" on national television to being completely done in a matter of hours. Nicole admitted she was struggling mentally with the fallout. Kendall, meanwhile, was trying to navigate a PR nightmare that no one should ever have to deal with.
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The "Elephant in the Room" That Ruined Everything
You can't talk about why they broke up without talking about the video. While the couple was still in the villa, a private, NSFW video of Kendall was leaked online without his consent. He found out the second he got his phone back. Imagine that for a second. You just spent weeks in a bubble, you’re on a high from finishing fourth, and suddenly the entire internet has seen your most private moments.
Kendall panicked. He told Nicole the video was from years ago, sent to an ex-girlfriend.
It wasn't.
At the reunion, the truth came out. The video was actually filmed in the hotel room right before he entered the villa, and it was sent to someone he met on a dating app. For Nicole, the issue wasn't necessarily the content of the video—it was the lie. She felt like she had been "taking the heat" for him for weeks, staying quiet to protect him, only to find out he hadn't been 100% honest about the timeline.
Why the Reunion Was the Final Nail
Reunions are supposed to be for closure, but for Kendall and Nicole, it was a disaster. Nicole was vocal. She was hurt. She called him out for not communicating and for "lying to her face."
- The Communication Gap: Nicole felt Kendall only checked on her when it was "relevant" for his image.
- The Defense: Other islanders, like Kordell and Miguel, tried to defend Kendall, pointing out that his life was being "turned upside down" by the leak.
- The Ick: Many fans speculated that Nicole simply got "the ick" once the bubble popped and the reality of the video and the lie set in.
By the time the cameras stopped rolling, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. They walked off that set "still together," but the foundation was gone.
Where Are They Now? 2026 Updates
It’s been over a year since the breakup, and if you’re looking for a reconciliation, don’t hold your breath. Both have moved on. Kendall has mostly focused on his career and rebuilding his brand after the 2024 chaos. He’s been vocal about mental health and the trauma of having your privacy violated.
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Nicole has stayed in California. She’s leaning into the influencer life, but she hasn't really looked back toward the "Kencole" era. They don't follow each other. They don't "like" each other's photos. It’s a clean break.
What We Can Learn From the "Kencole" Collapse
Sometimes, a relationship can only survive in a vacuum. In the villa, they were perfect. In the real world, with leaked videos, public opinion, and the pressure of a million eyes, they folded.
If you’re following your favorite reality couples, remember that what we see on the reunion is often just the beginning of the end. The real conversations happen when the microphones are turned off. For Kendall and Nicole, those conversations led to a final phone call on August 20th.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to keep up with their individual journeys, follow their verified Instagram accounts—just don't expect to see them in the same frame ever again. You might also want to look into the "Viall Files" podcast episodes featuring both of them (separately) for the full, unfiltered details of those final weeks.