A lot has been made aboutNetflix’sfirst season ofTemptation Island,theterrible menfeatured, and theirterrible behavior, butnot enough has been saidabout the greatsingle guyson the show who provided bothdistraction and supportto the ladies, while their boyfriends wasted no timediving headfirstinto physical and emotional cheating with thetemptresses in their villa.
BecauseTayler ByrdandAshley Mooresaw enough disloyalty from Tyler and Grant to decide to be single and explore, viewers got the chance to see thepotential for better matches– in Tayler’s case withYamen Sanders, and for Ashley withDanny SpongbergandLogan Paulsen. Despite the mountain of evidence thatBrion Whitleyhad violated the boundaries he andShanté Gloverhad agreed on,Shanté never truly gaveHashim Moorea chance – depriving herself (and the fans) of the fullTemptation Islandexperience.
Shante’s Loyalty Was Admirable—but Misguided
On this season ofTemptation Island, Shanté stood out forher poise, emotional intelligence, andfierce sense of commitment. Sheentered the showwith her boyfriend Brion, agreeing to respectfirm boundariesandremain faithfulthroughout their time in separate villas. And while Shanté honored that agreement to a fault,what she got in returnwaspublic heartbreak—played out week after week duringbonfire ceremonies.
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Even as viewers watched anatural rapportblossom between Shanté and single suitor Hashim,she resisted the pullof new possibilities, choosing instead tostay loyalto a partner whoconsistently underminedher trust. Rather than opening herself up to connection, Shanté stayed guarded. Her faithfulness was admirable, but it also left her isolated.
Brion’s Excuses Were Red Flags, Not Reasons
Brion quickly revealed himself to be one of the season’smost frustrating figures. Despite settingclear relationship expectations, he excused hiswandering eye—andultimately his actions—by blaming an allegedly“high sex drive”that Shanté didn’t satisfy. It was atroubling pattern: shift blame, deflect responsibility, and make jokes aboutthreesomeswith single women in his villa.
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Religious Brion’s idea of a Holy Trinity is a threesome.
His behavior escalated intodisrespectful territorywhen he had sex (presumably) with bothCourtney RandolphandAlex Zamorain the same shower.Instead of showing remorse, Brion doubled down, makingsuggestive commentsabout his hope for a future threesome withAngel VicandAmiah Brooks. Fortunately, Amiah, who Brion claimed became his closest friend in the villa, called out Brion’s behavior and even declined an invitation for a date at one point, citing his selfishness andemotional immaturity.
Hashim Showed Us What a Real Partner Looks Like
In contrast,Hashim modeledthe kind of steady,values-driven presencethatTemptation Islandrarely sees. APrinceton graduatewith a successful modeling career and anentrepreneurial spirit, Hashim connected with Shanté on a thoughtful,human level. He never pushed boundaries, instead offering consistent support and space for her to reflect.
If they had chemistry, it definitelysimmered quietlybeneath the surface, because Shanté barely shared any time along with Hashim until the final days of production. In the scenesNetflix aired,Hashim was vocalabout being a friendshe could count on, but she never trulygave him a chanceto be there for her in the way she deserved. In another world (or season), Shanté might have taken a chance with him. But she seemedbound by a visionof whather relationship with Brioncould become, rather than facing what it actually was.
Shante Deserved a Yamen or Danny Arc
We’ve seen this dynamic play out differently before.Tayler left Tylerafter seeing his betrayal with Kay and leaned into anauthenticconnectionwith Yamen. Ashley did the same, walking away from Grant andembracing new beginningswith both Logan and Danny. Their arcs were empowering.Shanté, on the other hand,chose to stay loyal. As honorable as that sounds, she could have stayedtrue to her boundariesby avoiding physical contact, while still using hertime on the islandto get to know Hashim (and herself) better through moreconversation and connection. Instead, she spent much of her time dwelling on the future she had planned with Brion, despite how he’dviolated that visionwith his actions.
Inthe final bonfire, Shanté seemedready to walk away—until Brion offered ashallow epiphanyabout how his sexual escapades left him “feeling empty.” He then leveraged her hopes ofmarriage and motherhoodto keep her from leaving. It wasmanipulation wrapped in apology, and it worked. Hashim later revealed in an interview thatShantéblocked himbefore the show aired, hinting that she may have beenpressured to cut ties. Whether that pressure came directly from Brion or not, it’s hard to ignore thepattern of control.
Life After the Island—A Missed Opportunity in Love
Despite leaving the island together,Shanté and Briondidn’t last.On April 7, sheconfirmed their breakupvia Instagram. Theheartbreak lingered—but so did the “what if” of hermissed connectionwith Hashim. Hashim, meanwhile, has been thriving. He’sgone viral on Instagram, expanded hismodeling career,andgrown his talentand booking platform, Pilot. He remainedgracious, continuing to expresssupport forShanté and her journey.
But let’s be clear: Hashim was theone who got away.He represented the emotional stability, intelligence, andintegritythat Shanté was seeking. IfTemptation Islandis meant to be aplace of clarity and growth,Shanté’s storyis acautionary taleabout the cost ofconfusing loyalty with love, and the opportunities we miss when wehold on too tightlyto the wrong person.
