Nu Harvest Cuts Ties With Shawnee Schein

The skincare brand ended its partnership with the Love Island Australia contestant after backlash over body-shaming remarks about a fellow contestant.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Sex Life

Nu Harvest Cuts Ties With Shawnee Schein

Live Poll

Should brands drop influencers who make body-shaming comments on TV?

Nu Harvest has cut ties with Love Island Australia star Shawnee Schein after hundreds of social media users condemned her body-shaming remarks about contestant Ava Toulson. Schein, 27, apologised, saying "Nah I'm being a little bit mean, sorry, I'm salty".

Why it matters

The brand said Schein's comments were not aligned with its values of female empowerment and body acceptance. The decision shows how quickly brand partnerships can be affected by a contestant's conduct on reality television.

Hundreds of social media users condemned Schein's remarks on the Tuesday night episode of Love Island Australia. Nu Harvest filmed a campaign with Schein in September, and the brand will not share any more content from that campaign.

The players

Nu Harvest

Nu Harvest is an Australian skincare brand that hired Shawnee Schein as a model for a campaign filmed in September.

Shawnee Schein

Shawnee Schein is a 27-year-old contestant on Love Island Australia whose remarks about Ava Toulson drew public criticism.

Georgie Stevenson

Georgie Stevenson announced Nu Harvest's decision to cut ties with Schein in an Instagram video.

The details

On an episode of Love Island Australia, Schein said "Grabbing her flat ass, embarrassing" and "Fake t*ts, fake lips, fake everything" about Ava Toulson, and Lachie Cubis replied that Toulson "Definitely got nothing on yours". Nu Harvest hired Schein as a model months before learning she was a Love Island contestant, and Georgie Stevenson announced the decision in an Instagram video.

September: Nu Harvest filmed a campaign with Schein.
Tuesday night: The Love Island Australia episode featuring Schein's remarks aired.
5 November 2026: Nu Harvest announced it was cutting ties with Schein.

Culture Shift

Brands increasingly distance themselves from reality-TV participants once on-air conduct triggers public backlash, as Nu Harvest has done here. The decision reflects how commercial partners now weigh contestants' televised behaviour against their own stated values on body acceptance and female empowerment.

Australian viewers of Love Island Australia may see the consequences of contestants' on-screen remarks reflected in sponsor decisions. Consumers who follow Nu Harvest should note that the brand will not share any further content from the September campaign.

The takeaway

Brands with explicit values on body acceptance are willing to end partnerships quickly when a spokesperson's conduct conflicts with those values. Consumers and partners alike are paying attention to how influencers speak about others on screen.