Love Island's Amaya Reveals Chronic Illness That Sent Her to the Hospital: "Very Scary"
The Love Island USA winner and Beyond the Villa star got emotional while opening up about her December health scare.
In December 2025, Amaya "Papaya" Espinal made headlines when news broke she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital after experiencing severe abdominal pain, leading to emergency surgery.
Later that month, she informed fans on social media that she was navigating a new "chronic illness" diagnosis. Now, for the first time, Amaya has publicly opened up about what led to her hospitalization.
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Amaya reveals her chronic illness diagnosis
One Beyond the Villa Season 2, Episode 5, Love Island USA and Beyond the Villa alum, Kaylor Martin, Facetimed Amaya to check-in following her health complications. It was then that Amaya revealed for the first time, publicly, that she'd recently been diagnosed with Crohn's disease.
Cleveland Clinic defines the illness as, "a long-term condition that causes swelling and irritation in your digestive tract. It’s one of the main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)."
Amaya went on to explain, "When I get flair ups, it’s like my intestines are going into each other which causes abdominal cramping."
She continued in her confessional, "I’ve been having abdominal pains since November 2024. After that, my flair ups was three more times, then in the summertime I had a break, [then it] snuck back on me like an ex."
If anyone would understand Amaya's ordeal, it's Kaylor. The Season 6 Islander was also hospitalized while filming the first season of Beyond the Villa, as she was rushed to emergency surgery to remove kidney stones. She advised Amaya to try not to overwork herself despite the sudden fame and opportunities she was given after winning Love Island USA Season 7.
Not able to hold back her tears, Amaya further opened in her confessional, explaining that she was alone in LA when she called 911 and the EMS took her to the hospital.
"It was just a reset because I didn’t have time to be by myself for the longest of times. It was just a reminder that if you don’t have health, you don’t have anything," she said.
The finale of Love Island: Beyond the Villa Season 2 steams Wednesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. only on Peacock.
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