Charlie Georgiou Goes to Bat for Brother Zach Amidst Online Fury: "I Don't Need Support"

Charlie Georgiou fired back at critics after defending his brother Zach Georgiou, who faced a storm of online backlash.

“To all the people who don’t like me anymore for defending my brother, I’m glad,” Charlie declared on Threads. “Genuinely I don’t need support from people that bully my brother online for absolute minute reasons.”

He challenged the vitriol aimed at Zach, questioning the severity of the backlash. “You’d think he’s been cancelled for something illegal the way you are talking about him,” he stated. Charlie revealed he has received death threats, homophobic slurs, and even comments telling Zach to “take his ass back to the Byzantine empire,” a nod to their heritage.

In a subsequent post, Charlie condemned the negativity, stating, “These are probably the same people who mocked Parmida’s Persian name. Ethnic names don’t deserve to be mocked just because they are different.”

He addressed accusations against Zach directly: “For all the people who have said ‘Zach withheld food from Kayda and has starved Kayda,’ as farfetched and ridiculously dramatic that statement is, Zach did make Kayda breakfast that morning; it just wasn’t shown.”

The reality show Love Island USA features singles who must pair off to remain in a luxury villa. Contestants, known as Islanders, live under constant video surveillance and must couple up to stay on the show and compete for a $100,000 prize.

As filming continues for weeks, viewers watch daily episodes and cast votes that influence the couples and contestants' fates.

While Islanders formed connections on Day 1, those bonds quickly shifted with the introduction of bombshells, enticing several Islanders to reconsider their relationships.

Before the season began, a message from Peacock urged viewers to be kind. “The Villa runs on good vibes, and so does this community. We love seeing your reactions, opinions, and debates, but everyone deserves to feel safe and respected,” the statement read. “This is a space for fun, not negativity – so keep it kind, keep it positive, and remember: this is LOVE Island!”

Host Ariana Madix previously addressed viewers who crossed the line with their frustrations about the show. “I do want to say something to some of those people who are online,” she said during a June episode of Aftersun. “Don’t be contacting people’s families. Don’t be doxxing people.”

Ariana criticized the behavior she observed on social media. “Don’t be going on Islanders’ pages and saying rude things. You still have time to delete all of that because the Islanders don’t have their phones,” she noted. “So we are giving you a chance because this is a fun, amazing and beautiful show. We should be thanking each one of these Islanders every single day for giving us themselves.”

New episodes of Love Island USA drop six days a week – except for Wednesdays – on Peacock.