Love Island 2019: Twitter users accuse Joe of ‘emotional abuse'

'The word you're looking for is gaslighting'

Love Island viewers have criticised contestant Joe Garratt’s behaviour on the show, with many accusing the 22-year-old of “gaslighting”.

The term is used to describe a form of emotional abuse where one person gradually manipulates another in order to gain control.

During Sunday night’s episode of the ITV reality television show, tensions between sandwich salesman Joe and Lucie Donlan mounted after he questioned why she was spending so much time with fellow contestant Tommy Fury.

After confronting Lucie about the issue, she insisted that there was nothing “romantic” going on between herself and Tommy.

However, Joe remained unconvinced and described her friendship with the professional boxer as “strange”.

“The whole thing with Tommy, I’m not happy with it, it is strange. You were with him for a good hour,” Joe told Lucie by the fire pit.

“You know I like you so much but I do doubt things at times.”

Joe concluded the conversation by asking Lucie to spend more time with the girls in the villa and later admitted in the Beach Hut that he was confused by her behaviour.

“I need her to understand where I'm coming from and hopefully adapt to the situation,” Joe said.

Several Twitter users expressed their objection to Joe’s behaviour, with some accusing him of “emotional abuse”.

“Can I just say this Joe guy is very abusive (emotionally), let’s call it what it is. He's actually gaslighting Lucie and making her question herself,” one person wrote.

Another commented: “The word you're looking for is GASLIGHTING. Calling Lucie 'strange' and disrespectful because of his own insecurity, and encouraging other islanders to normalise his beliefs in an attempt to 'change' her.”

A third person agreed, adding: “Joe is gaslighting Lucie. Making her feel like she’s doing something wrong when she’s not.”

Adina Claire, co-chief executive of Women’s Aid, told The Independent: “Abusive relationships often start off with subtle signs of control, so it’s important that it is recognised at an early stage.

"Love Island viewers are now very vocal in calling out unhealthy behaviour between couples on the show, and this is a positive development."

This isn’t the first time Joe’s behaviour has been condemned on social media.

Earlier this month, Tommy decided to recouple with Lucie, leaving Joe without a partner and notably disgruntled.

Despite Lucie having no choice but to go on a date with Tommy, as per the rules of the show, Joe later told her that he didn’t feel he could "trust" her anymore, regardless of the fact that they'd only been on Love Island for a couple of days.

Twitter users expressed their objection to Joe’s brash behaviour, with some saying he exhibited clear relationship “red flags”.

Psychologist Madeleine Mason Roantree, said Joe's behaviour towards Lucie showed he was trying to “erode her confidence”.

Speaking to The Independent, Mason Roantree explained that as no one had “declared any exclusivity” in the villa at the time, Joe was not “within his 'rights'“ to make such a statement without it coming across “emotionally manipulative”.

According to The Sun, broadcasting regulator Ofcom received several complaints regarding the issue.

“We will assess these complaints under our broadcasting rules but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate,” a spokesperson for Ofcom stated.

The Independent contacted ITV for comment.

The accusations against Joe come just days after Sherif Lanre was kicked off the show for accidentally kicking fellow islander Molly-Mae Hague in the groin area during a playfight, then joking about it using expletives.

In an interview with the Sun on Sunday following his departure, Sherif said he believes what happened was “unconscious racism”.

“I was the only black man in the villa and I was kicked out after ten days,“ he said.

“In my opinion, what happened was unconscious racism. There was, I felt, sexism. I feel I wouldn’t have been given that red card if I was a white woman.”

A spokesperson for the show told The Independent: "We would strongly refute any accusation of racism.

“All of the Islanders are treated fairly and in accordance with our duty of care."

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse in a relationship, call the Freephone 24/7 National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Women’s Aid in partnership with Refuge, on 0808 2000 247 or visit www.womensaid.org.uk.