The aftermath of a Love Island romance turned into a bitter and very public legal dispute, as former series 10 couple Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki found themselves locked in a potential court battle over allegations of defamation.
From Island Romance to Acrimonious Split
The pair, who met on the ITV2 reality show in 2023, announced the end of their two-year relationship in April 2025. Initially, Whitney stated the split was due to Lochan having "fallen out of love" with her. However, the situation escalated dramatically in the following months.
In August 2025, Whitney made serious allegations against her ex-partner, claiming he had made racist remarks towards her during their relationship. This ignited a fierce war of words played out across social media, culminating in Lochan instructing lawyers to sue for defamation.
The Allegations and Counter-Allegations
The core of the dispute centred on a specific incident. Whitney alleged that during a walk, she commented on her skin glistening in the sun, to which Lochan replied, "Ugh, it's dirty." She claimed he only said it was a "joke" after she reacted angrily.
Lochan vehemently denied this account. He recalled a different scenario where Whitney playfully put her newly manicured hands in his face, saying hers were clean and his were not. He claimed his retort of "No, they're not" was misinterpreted as a racial slur.
Whitney further alleged that racially insensitive comments extended to Lochan's family, claiming his mother would joke about not being able to see her when the lights went off. Lochan defended his family, sharing text messages he said showed Whitney had previously felt welcomed by them.
Legal Threats and a Private Resolution
In response to the allegations, which he categorically denied, Lochan hired a legal team, reportedly the same firm used by David Walliams. He signalled his intent to pursue High Court action for defamation and malicious falsehood, seeking substantial damages to repair his reputation.
Whitney remained defiant, stating through a spokesperson that she was "very confident in her position" and would vigorously defend any claim. The feud saw both parties share private message screenshots on Instagram, each attempting to prove their version of events.
However, by December 2025, it was revealed the pair had quietly settled their dispute outside of court. No public details of the settlement were released. Ahead of her appearance on Love Island All Stars 2026, Whitney confirmed the matter was closed, telling the press, "I've never had a court case... No, no court case."
The saga highlights the intense scrutiny faced by reality TV relationships and how personal conflicts can spiral into legal confrontations, often resolved away from the public eye.
