Three-time Love Island star Tina Provis has exposed how racism “can last a lifetime” after she received a xenophobic DM on Instagram.
The 27-year-old rose to fame when she won Love Island Australia in 2021 alongside Mitch Hibberd. After their split, she returned to the show in 2022 before she most recently appeared on Love Island Games, a spin-off series that featured countless stars from international franchises.
While appearing on reality TV has certainly opened up some doors for Tina, it’s also allowed internet trolls to show their true colours.
Taking to Instagram on January 22, Tina said she wanted to “open up on [her] experience with racism” with a means to “help someone feel alone with their experience”.
“Not that it needs to be reiterated, but this is simply MY experience which I’m sharing to encourage people to be more open with their own stories and willing to speak up for others,” she wrote in the caption.
“Let this also be a gentle reminder of how powerful your words can be, so be kind. It’s not hard to be a good human.”
What was the racist DM that Love Island‘s Tina Provis received?
In her Instagram carousel, Tina included a screenshot of the racist message she received.
“Being a local Australian, your type are not what we are into,” the user wrote, referring to the reality star’s Asian heritage.
In a subsequent slide, Tina said the “most disappointing part” about the message was that she “wasn’t shocked” to receive it.
“And while a racist remark like this has little effect on me these days, it has led me to reflect on my experience as a half Asian, half Australian woman,” she penned.
“So, here is a timeline on how casual racism can last a lifetime.”
Tina went on to detail that she was just eight years old when she first experienced xenophobia when asked why her eyes were “different”.
“At 12 years old, a boy chased me around the playground asking if I liked rice,” she continued, adding that she was dubbed an “ugly Asian” at 14.
She then said on her 18th birthday, “two drunk guys in their early 20s yelled… that World War 2 was [her] fault”.
“These moments have become an important part of who I am,” Tina continued. “But these moments are mine, and they wouldn’t even be a memory to the men who made them.”
Love Island‘s Tina Provis details ‘insecurities’ that stem from racism experience
Tina said this “collection of moments” impacted her as she matured, particularly when it came to dating and socialising.
“I would never stand up for myself… Eventually, I would learn to laugh along [to racist remarks] and even make jokes to put myself down to please a crowd,” she wrote.
“The impact of this experience runs deeper than I would even like to admit. I know this is true, because I am crying while I relive these moments and feel sadness for a girl who didn’t know any better.”
In a final slide, Tina said that even a decade after graduating high school, “there are still men who would like to remind [her] that [she is] Asian and that they don’t want [her]”.
“And that is fine because I would never want anything to do with a f*cking racist,” she concluded. “This is part of my experience, which I wanted to share so that it might help you feel less alone with yours.
“Standing up for people who might have been like me growing up, and didn’t know how.”
Re-addressing her post on January 23, Tina revealed she had “happy tear[s]” after receiving supportive messages from fans.
“It was really touching to hear from so many of you about your own experiences,” she wrote.
“Proud to be part of your journey of self-love and encouraging you to call out bad behaviour.”
Hear, hear!
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