Amaya Espinal

About

Amaya Elizabeth Espinal (born November 9, 1999), also known as Amaya Papaya, is an American reality television personality. She appeared on the Peacock reality show Love Island USA in 2025, winning the season alongside Bryan Arenales. They are the first Latino couple to win in the franchise’s history.

Espinal was born on November 9, 1999 in New York City. She is of Dominican descent, and is a first-generation American.
She became a licensed cardiac registered nurse in December 2021 and worked at a hospital in New York prior to her appearance on Love Island.

Espinal entered the Love Island villa in episode 4 of the seventh season. She became known for her “iconic quotes,” and is regarded as a fan favorite.
Her impromptu singing became popular among fans. One song with the lyrics “I never said I was perfect, I never said I didn’t have any flaws” was featured in over 22,000 TikTok videos as of June 2025. In July 2025, when users searched “Amaya Papaya” on Google, the lyrics appeared in an animated banner accompanied by papaya emojis.
Other remarks such as “God forbid I’m a sensitive gangsta” and “I’m just not your cup of tea to be drinkin…