Reality TV is a pressure cooker. Put a bunch of attractive 20-somethings in a villa, take away their phones, and force them to play house with a screaming plastic doll—and you’ve basically got a recipe for disaster. That’s exactly what went down on Love Island USA Season 7. While most people remember the high-stakes recouplings or the messy Heart Rate Challenge drama involving Huda, the Ace and Chelley fighting during baby challenge saga was a massive turning point that fans are still deconstructing today.
It wasn't just about a diaper change. It was about the cracks in a relationship that everyone wanted to work, but deep down, we all sort of knew might be on shaky ground.
The Baby Challenge Pressure Cooker
If you haven't seen the episode in a while, let’s set the scene. Episode 31 of Season 7 was supposed to be the "fun" one. You know the drill: the islanders wake up to the sound of electronic babies crying at a frequency specifically designed to annoy the human soul. For Ace and Chelley, who were at that point a fan-favorite couple, this should have been a breeze.
Except it wasn't.
Ace, who was only 23 at the time, and Chelley, who is 28, already had a bit of an age gap that viewers—and occasionally the islanders themselves—liked to bring up. While Ace had been vocal about being "intentional" and dating to marry, the baby challenge suddenly made those "forever" conversations feel very, very real.
Why the Tension Boiled Over
The fighting didn't start with a bang. It started with a simmer. Honestly, it was the small things that triggered the blowout.
- The Responsibility Gap: Ace seemed to treat the doll more like a prop for jokes, while Chelley took the parenting "test" seriously.
- The Heart Rate Hangover: You can't talk about this fight without mentioning the tension from the previous week. Chelley was still visibly bothered by Ace’s participation in Huda’s performance during the Heart Rate Challenge. The "baby" just became the focal point for all that unresolved resentment.
- Exhaustion: Living in that villa for 30+ days does something to your brain.
There’s a specific moment in the episode where Ace tries to joke around while the doll is screaming, and you can see the exact second Chelley’s patience evaporates. It wasn't just "reality TV drama." It felt like a real-world argument about maturity and effort.
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Ace and Chelley Fighting During Baby Challenge: Was it the End?
A lot of fans on Reddit and TikTok at the time argued that this fight was the beginning of the end. Some viewers, like those on the Love Island USA subreddit, pointed out that while they seemed "the happiest" at certain points of the challenge (even covering the doll's face to get some peace), the underlying friction was impossible to ignore.
Ace has a very specific way of handling conflict—usually with humor or by trying to smooth things over quickly. Chelley, on the other hand, needs to feel heard. When Ace admitted he "went too hard" in previous challenges but then defended his actions during the baby challenge, it created a loop of communication that just didn't quite land.
The Breakdown of "The Perfect Couple"
The irony is that they actually left the villa together. They even made it official in September 2025 during a romantic trip to St. Lucia. Ace posted a travel vlog where he finally told the camera, "Got me a girlfriend." It looked like they had moved past the villa stress.
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But those who were watching closely during the baby challenge saw the writing on the wall. The fight revealed a fundamental difference in how they handled stress. While they tried to make it work in the "real world," that villa-born tension eventually caught up to them.
What the Breakup Taught Us
Fast forward to December 2025. Chelley appeared on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio to confirm what many had feared: the couple had split after five months. She was incredibly classy about it, saying, "Sometimes loving someone means letting go."
She didn't blame the baby challenge specifically. She didn't blame the age gap. But she did mention that they went through things that were "very challenging." When you look back at the Ace and Chelley fighting during baby challenge footage, you see a couple trying to force a connection that might have been more of a "moment in time" than a "lifetime" thing.
Key Takeaways from the Drama
If we're being real, there are a few things we can learn from watching these two navigate that mess:
- Challenges are stress tests: Whether it's a plastic baby or a real-life move to a new city (Chelley actually moved to LA to be closer to Ace), stress will always expose the weak points in a relationship.
- Age matters (sometimes): It wasn't just the years; it was the life stages. Ace was experiencing his first serious girlfriend, while Chelley was looking for something more settled.
- Communication is king: You can’t joke your way out of a partner’s genuine frustration.
Moving Forward After the Villa
Since the split, Chelley has focused on her own "healing and growth." Ace has kept a lower profile regarding the breakup, though he's still active on social media.
The baby challenge fight remains a fascinating bit of reality TV history because it wasn't a scripted "villain" moment. It was two people realizing, in real-time, that they might not be as compatible as they hoped. It’s a reminder that even the "fun" challenges on Love Island have real consequences for the people involved.
If you’re looking to apply some of this to your own life—or just your reality TV watching habits—take note of how people react when they're tired and annoyed. It usually tells you more than a candlelit dinner ever will.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see the fallout for yourself, go back and re-watch Season 7, Episode 31. Look past the jokes and the crying dolls. Watch the body language during the "parenting" discussions. You’ll see the exact moment the "villa bubble" started to burst for them both. It’s a masterclass in how small disagreements are often just symptoms of much larger issues.