‘I am Means Stronger Than I Thought I Was’ (Unique)

JaNa Craig is trying ahead.

The 28-year-old simply handed the one-year anniversary of her time on Love Island USA season 6, an expertise that launched her — and her castmates — into instantaneous stardom.

The Peacock collection drew so many viewers who had been dedicated to the season 6 contestants, that the islanders reunited to star on a first-of-its-kind spinoff collection, Love Island: Past the Villa, which premiered in July.

The present (airing Thursdays on Peacock) introduced the group again collectively for the primary time since residing within the villa in Fiji. As cameras rolled throughout their summer season in Los Angeles, viewers received to see the magic of this group’s dynamic as they navigated relationships exterior the villa, got here face-to-face with their exes for the primary time and confirmed simply how deep their bond actually is.

By way of all of it, JaNa turned a fan favourite — alongside her two greatest mates Leah Kateb and Serena Web page, a.okay.a. the “Energy Puff Gang” (PPG) — and never a day goes by that she does not communicate to them. “We’re on FaceTime on daily basis,” JaNa says. Actually, the very first thing she has to do after her interview is to hop on their “each day name.”

“I experience arduous for them. It is not even a friendship, it is a straight sisterhood at this level,” she says.

It solely is smart that she’s navigating life so intently with them — they have been by one thing not many others have. They needed to come dwelling to a social media firestorm after Love Island final 12 months (the place contestants famously haven’t got their telephones whereas filming) and navigate how their on-screen relationships work in the actual world.

“I do not suppose I might have gone by something that I have been by this previous 12 months with out them,” she says.

Leah, Serena and her solid members, Kordell Beckham, Miguel Harichi, Liv Walker, Kaylor Martin and Kendall Washington have been her help system when she needed to endure the largest change since her time post-show. On July 28, information broke that JaNa’s practically year-long relationship with Kenny Rodriguez, whom she met on Love Island, ended. They’d are available in third within the finale.

She later launched an announcement confirming her break up from the 25-year-old, as she instructed her 2.7 million followers that “none” of their theories on the breakup “have matched as much as how horrible, disgusting and disappointing it really is.”

The one factor JaNa desires to guarantee followers although: “I’ve gotten the closure I want.”

She credit her resilience to being “an especially constructive particular person” and “working towards gratitude” on daily basis.

“When unhealthy issues do occur, I simply replicate,” she says. “Self-reflection may be very, essential. I feel individuals ought to do it on a regular basis. I analyze the state of affairs for myself, I simply discuss it out to myself. I pray on it. I discuss to God about it, after which I simply actually transfer on. I am actually, actually good at shifting on.”

She provides, “It is actually my greatest flex if I am being sincere. I simply proceed to observe gratitude. It did not kill me. I’m nonetheless right here. God is nice. Life is nice, so it is like, woman, I am high-quality. I am high-quality.”

How high-quality you ask? “I do not wish to waste my breath on him, if I am being so sincere,” she says of the breakup. “I assumed it was a superb relationship. Nevertheless it wasn’t, and that is high-quality.”

If anybody’s questioning — sure, she’s seen followers declaring crimson flags in her relationship, which have come beneath a microscope with every new episode of Past the Villa (which additionally stars Kenny). “I hate that folks on-line are telling me that,” she says.

“I simply really feel like, when somebody has a hidden agenda, they’re going to return off as real as attainable to succeed in their purpose. The crimson flags that folks noticed, I didn’t see,” JaNa says. “Persons are like, ‘You missed so many issues.’ I am like, ‘However I did not.’ As a result of nobody’s good. No couple’s good. There are conditions the place we forgave one another as you’ll do in a relationship. It will get irritating, however it’s OK. Life goes on.”

She assures followers she’s “already healed.”

“It was so darkish – the previous. I do not like speaking about it anymore,” she says. “I’ve moved on. I’ve gotten the closure I want. I do not actually prefer to dwell on the previous. There is not any good thing about doing so.”

She continues, “I’ve discovered that I am approach stronger than I assumed I used to be. I knew I used to be a troublesome cookie, however when you undergo a few trials and tribulations, you notice you construct extra character. I am stronger than I feel.”

All she’s centered on proper now’s her “very vivid future,” which she hopes contains the launch of a “actually thrilling enterprise.”

“I like staying busy,” JaNa admits. “I simply get up and present up.” Her major purpose although, is to earn sufficient to present again in a giant approach.

“I’ve all the time actually needed the dream of getting seven streams of earnings, so a number of companies, simply in order that I might change into a philanthropist and provides all of it away,” JaNa says. “So I see myself donating quite a bit, particularly libraries. And for some purpose, God instructed me bogs and loos… infrastructure like that. Hopefully hospitals as nicely, however I similar to to work actually arduous to present all of it away as a result of you may’t take it if you go.”

If she finally will get some down time, she’s going to spend it together with her “soulmates,” Leah and Serena. “We have been planning a visit for the previous one year now, so perhaps we’ll really go on a visit now.”

They’re nonetheless engaged on the vacation spot, however are pondering Bora Bora or the Maldives. “We must always throw a dart on the map — and hope it does not land within the ocean — after which simply go from there,” she says with amusing.

No matter occurs subsequent in life, love and profession, she is aware of her followers are alongside for the experience — and he or she could not be extra grateful.

“I do not suppose I’ve ever been drowned in a lot love and help,” she says. “I simply wish to thank my supporters, everybody that has been using for me since day one. I can not let America down. I carry on striving arduous, I carry on working arduous simply to indicate my gratitude to them.”

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She provides, “I simply really feel like the entire nation simply gave me a giant hug in spite of everything I have been by these previous few weeks and I can not thank them sufficient. I’ve by no means felt a lot love. My household and my mates, they’re there for me all the time. However everybody that is adopted me, even those that do not observe me, however nonetheless love and help me, I’m so, so grateful and I simply wish to allow them to know I am not going to allow you to guys down.”

Love Island: Past the Villa airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.