Explained: Legal battle between Whitney and Lochan as he’s set to sue after Love Island split

Right now, Love Island exes Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki are set to become locked in a legal battle following their split. Lochan is suing Whitney, and there have been a lot of comments made from either side.

Whitney and Lochan broke up in April 2025, making it nearly two years together after meeting on Love Island. “I wish I could tell you there was someone else, something that would make it easier to understand. Maybe it was just one of those heartbreaking moments of ‘right person, wrong time’,” she said in a statement at the time.

“I’m strong, but for the first time in a long time I can admit that I’m broken. I thought I had everything figured out, the future seemed so certain. Now I’m 27, standing at a crossroads and questioning everything that I thought I knew.”

Since this, it’s turned messy. Lochan is currently in a legal battle with Whitney, having launched a lawsuit regarding claims she made in the wake of their split. Here’s what’s going on.

Why is Lochan suing Whitney?

via TikTok

Following the breakup, Whitney uploaded a TikTok video doing the viral “You look happier” trend, where people explain why they’re currently happier than they used to be. She said: “Thanks! I finally fell in love with my skin he used to call dirty.” Whilst she never explicitly said she was talking about Lochan, everyone assumed she was.

Lochan then responded on TikTok and denied the allegations. He said he’d “never called anyone’s skin dirty”. He said: “It’s pretty hard to talk about but I feel like I’ve got no other choice now than to stand up and defend myself.

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“About a year into my relationship with Whit, we were on a walk close to my flat. She had gotten her nails done and she, annoyingly, put her nails in my face and was like, ‘My hands are so clean. Yours aren’t.’ I was like, ‘No, they’re not,’ and I was annoyed her hands were in my face.

“She looked at me in shock and said, ‘You’re calling me dirty?’ I was taken aback by that. I felt insulted that my girlfriend, who I loved [and] who knows me and who knows that I would never insinuate something like that, is calling me a racist. I’ve never called anyone’s skin dirty, and I would never. That, to me, is the most upsetting comment. I’ve got no other choice now but to stand up and defend myself.”

Whitney has also claimed Lochan’s friends used the n-word and accused him of “condoning it” by remaining pals with them. She said in a video: “I was like, why are you hanging around with people who obviously have that word in their vocabulary and I’m obviously a black woman. We broke up when that racial slur happened.”

@lochannowacki

♬ original sound – Lochan Nowacki

This has since escalated, as it’s now been reported Lochan is taking legal action about the claims.

Legal proceedings are expected to start in the coming weeks

As it stands, Lochan has instructed lawyers, and drafted out his particulars of claim. Legal proceedings between Whitney and Lochan are expected to start in the next few weeks.

His claim regards the damage to his reputation made by what Whitney alleged he said. He is suing Whitney in the High Court for defamation and malicious falsehood and is seeking “substantial damages”.

A source told The Sun: “There have been repeated attempts to step back from the abyss. Whitney was given the opportunity to apologise publicly for her remarks, but she doubled down instead. Lochan wants the world to know he is taking action against her.

“Half the people out there still think he’s a racist because of what she’s said about him. It’s just not right and it has to be corrected. He would rather avoid court, but there doesn’t appear to be any alternative.”

Whitney has since spoken out

via Instagram

Following the lawsuit news, Whitney has spoken out. She shared pictures of text messages appearing to be from Lochan. “If you can apologise privately, you can apologise publicly,” she said over the top of the messages. In them, texts appearing to be from Lochan said he “crossed a line” with a “joke” and admitted he “f*cked up”. He later said: “I’m not a racist.”

Whitney also accused him of calling her “Sofia”, a Black character from The Colour Purple. “I will never be bullied/intimidated into silence by retracting ignorant statements made by you,” she said.

A spokeswoman for Whitney added: “Whitney has instructed her own legal team and is very confident in her position. If any claim is issued by Mr Nowacki, it will be vigorously defended.” Lochan has denied all claims against him.

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