“Love Island USA” Alum JaNa Craig Reveals How She Got Her Confidence Back After 'Unfortunate' Public Breakup (Exclusive)
“Love Island USA” Alum JaNa Craig Reveals How She Got Her Confidence Back After 'Unfortunate' Public Breakup (Exclusive)
Desiree Anello, Stephanie SengweWed, July 1, 2026 at 5:26 PM UTC
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JaNa Craig at 2026 BET Awards; JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez on 'Love Island USA'Credit: Robin L Marshall/Getty for BET; Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock via Getty -
JaNa Craig tells PEOPLE she has regained her confidence after navigating a public breakup
“What happened obviously was very unfortunate, but I'm okay,” she says of her split from ex Kenny Rodriguez
The Love Island USA alum adds that she has "always loved myself" and knows her worth
JaNa Craig knows her worth, no matter what happens.
Nearly a year after navigating a public breakup, the reality series alum, 29, is detailing how she's set boundaries and regained some of her confidence.
“I've just been learning,” Craig says while speaking with PEOPLE at the 2026 BET Awards on Sunday, June 28. “I've always loved myself, but when you go through what I went through, it kind of lowered the confidence a little bit, but we're back up.”
“I've always had boundaries. I've always had morals,” she adds. “I'm keeping the same thing. What happened obviously was very unfortunate, but I'm okay. Everything's good. I still love myself. I know my worth.”
JaNa Craig at 2026 BET AwardsCredit: Frazer Harrison/Getty
One year after Craig met Kenny Rodriguez during season 6 of Love Island USA, she announced on her Instagram Stories in July 2025 that the pair were “no longer together.”
“Please know that I have seen all the breakup theories and none have matched up to how terrible, disgusting and disappointing it truly is,” she wrote at the time. “Discovering that someone you loved isn't who you thought they were and that the relationship you thought you were building hasn't been genuine since day one has been truly devastating.”
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Rodriguez, 26, later shared his own statement to his Instagram Stories, writing that “despite how deeply you care for someone, you come to the hard truth that the relationship was not something that could last long-term.”
After having her personal life and relationships thrust into the spotlight during the aftermath of her Love Island experience, Craig reunited with her fellow islanders — including Leah Kateb, Miguel Harichi, Serena Page, Kordell Beckham, Kaylor Martin and more — for Beyond the Villa, which follows the reality stars as they deal with their newfound fame and changing friendships. The first season, following Craig and her costars, ran from July to August 2025, while the second season followed the seventh season cast of Love Island USA.
JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez on 'Love Island USA'Credit: Kim Nunneley/Peacock
“It was so dark — the past. I don't like talking about it anymore,” Craig told PEOPLE in August. “I've moved on. I've gotten the closure I need. I don't really like to dwell on the past. There's no benefit of doing so."
“I've learned that I'm way stronger than I thought I was,” she continued. “I knew I was a tough cookie, but once you go through a couple of trials and tribulations, you realize you build more character. I'm stronger than I think."
Emphasizing that she was “already healed” at the time, Craig went on to say that “self-reflection” was always her key to moving on when bad things happened.
“I'm really, really good at moving on,” she said. “It's honestly my biggest flex if I'm being honest. I just continue to practice gratitude. It didn't kill me. I am still here. God is good. Life is good, so it's like, girl, I'm fine. I'm fine."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
