What Happened To The Cast Of Temptation Island

USA's Temptation Island follows four committed couples who are sent to a gorgeous island, separated from one another, and left to their "single life" devices with 24 eligible men and women. Whether or not they can resist the temptation of the singles is a test to see if their relationship is the real deal, or if it's time to move on. In the finale, the four couples are reunited, and must decide then and there if they want to leave together, alone, or with one of the singles. Executive producer David Goldberg said it best in a Deadline interview: "Temptation Island is sure to spark intrigue, debate, and conversation." 

The steamy reality show with a couple of seasons under its belt is actually a reboot of the 2001 original. The difference between the original and this new show? "A concerted effort was made to populate the island with singles genuinely looking for love whose personalities are appealing to the four couples who are questioning the long-term viability of their relationships," Goldberg added. 

So, did it work the first time? Did the couples split up or stay together? Here is what happened to the cast of Temptation Island.

Evan Smith appeared on Season 1 of Temptation Island to prove his commitment to his girlfriend, Kaci Campbell, but he quickly fell for Morgan Lolar. Evan and Morgan dated throughout the season and left the island as a couple. Evan then proposed to Morgan during the six-month check-in episode, and allegedly cheated on her shortly thereafter. Morgan tweeted her allegations in 2019, writing, "Is it ever okay for an ENGAGED man to leave his fiancé across the country to 'work' but actually has nightly sleepovers with 21yo Instagram models? Oh, and his phone happens to 'die' every night at the same time."

It wasn't all roses before Evan's reported infidelity, either. "He didn't work the entire time that he lived with me for almost a year and a half," Morgan told the Watch with Us podcast. "I supported him financially and his excuse for abruptly leaving two days before we were supposed to move to L.A. was that he needed to go 'work' to be able to pay me back." 

Evan seems to be remorseful for his actions, tweeting, "I am so sorry, Morgan," in April of 2020.

It's not all bad news for Temptation Island vets. Shari Ligons and Javen Butler had been dating since they were in their teens when they went on the show in Season 1. Since Javen had cheated on Shari when they were in college, he said he wanted to use the island to prove his commitment to her — and his plan worked! He proposed at the finale bonfire, and Shari said yes. On Instagram, Javen called the moment "the highlight of my life."

Javen and Shari seemed to be going strong for some time, despite rumors that Shari had cheated with Temptation Island's Justin Sturm. The couple moved to Los Angeles and started a podcast, on which they, as Shari tweeted, "get real and talk about relationships, pop culture, and #temptationisland." In a since-deleted Instagram post, Javen shared a picture of the two of them, writing in the caption, "You'll never find a person who cares or loves you more than me."

Unfortunately, it seems Javen and Shari may have ultimately split, according to CheatSheet. In January 2020, Shari shared on Instagram in a since-deleted post that she would "no longer [take] verbal, emotional, or psychological abuse from someone that's supposed to 'love' me," noting that she wouldn't stay in a relationship just because she felt guilty. Javen responded, in part, "I love you, but I am not holding you here by force."

After meeting on the dating app Bumble and dating for three years, John Thurmond and Kady Cannon decided to test the strength of their relationship on Season 1 of Temptation Island. John explained his hesitation about Kady in an interview with PopCulture in 2019. "I think I was getting a lot of pressure from Kady about marriage," John revealed, saying Kady felt like her "biological clock" was ticking while he was wary of marriage after his parents divorced when he was young.

John and Kady left the island alone and single, but then tried to make things work again after they got home to Texas. The pair eventually split up for good, however, giving fans hope that John would end up with Katheryn Goldyn (a single he met on the show). Katheryn and John did spend time together in Nashville in 2019, but Katheryn posted a Boomerang of the two of them on her Instagram that killed the rumors once and for all. "No, we are not together," she wrote in the caption. "However, we remain close friends and will always care for and respect each other!"

Kate Griffith and David Benavidez had dated for three years before they went on Season 2 of Temptation Island, but David didn't seem committed to the relationship. He almost immediately showered with one single, kissed another, and then pursued a third. Kate wasn't true to her man, either, as she also explored a new relationship. No one was surprised when they didn't leave the island together. 

However, people were surprised when they got back together. In a since-deleted Instagram post (via Us Weekly) showing the pair wearing matching pajamas, Kate wrote, "After letting you into a small glimpse of my life in an unrealistic and inorganic environment on Temptation Island, I've decided I owe no one answers as to decisions that I've made AFTER cameras stopped rolling." She added that she and David are living their best, authentic lives.

David also took to social media to defend their relationship and his actions on the show. "The 'reality' show does not accurately depict any of the cast members or any of the couples' relationships," he wrote. "We are all characters playing the 'roles' that go with the storyline."

But it doesn't seem they were meant to be. Judging by Kate's Instagram, she's since found a new love.

Ashley Howland and Casey Starchak appeared on Season 2 of Temptation Island to make their relationship work. "We were just delving into our issues in our relationship when I got an email about casting couples for the show," Ashley told InStyle. "We didn't even know what our issues were at the time; just that there was an issue and that we would get into arguments." She added that they hoped to evolve as a couple while on the show.

Casey did propose to Ashley during the finale bonfire, but she said no, instead choosing to leave the island with single Ben Knobloch. But, then she and Ben broke up as well. Ashley claimed the split was because Ben had changed. "It took like a 360. I'm not even kidding," she told Bustle in late 2019. "We're not together. And he is a completely different person."

Ashley is spending time alone since both breakups, telling Bustle in that same interview she's "single now for sure."

Ben Knobloch went on season 2 of Temptation Island as a single. It didn't take long for him to find romance with Ashley Howland, who came to the island with her then-boyfriend Casey Starchak. Ben liked Ashley right from the start. "Obviously the physical attraction is what draws you to someone initially," he told Floor 8. "I realized she wasn't just a pretty face. I had no way of knowing how she would react to my advances or feelings." Still, Ben took a chance, and it paid off, as he and Ashley left the island as a couple. 

However, after the show's reunion special, their relationship fell apart. According to Ben, Ashley cheated on him with Casey (via Floor 8). In the end, Ben and Ashley broke up, even though she denies the cheating allegations. 

Ben doesn't seem too hurt by the break-up, though, as he has a new lady in his life. He posted a photo on Instagram with his new girl, tagging it with the hashtag, "#powercouple."

Gavin Rocker appeared on Season 2 of Temptation Island with then-girlfriend Esonica Veria. When interviewed by InStyle before filming began, Gavin listed his show "deal-breakers" that would definitely end the relationship. "Hooking up with someone or having someone in your room," he revealed. "Also just a strong emotional connection. Sometimes the physical is a lot more shallow than the emotional." He added that if his partner is falling out of love with him on national television, he's not sticking around. 

Sadly, that's just what Esonica did, hooking up with single Kareem Thomas and leaving the island as a couple with him. But Gavin seems to be doing just fine without Esonica. He posts Instagram videos of himself working out and partying with his "boys" in NYC. Gavin is also breaking into acting; he's appearing as "Spice" in the movie Scott Free that will be released in 2021. 

Dominique Price was a single on Season 2 of Temptation Island. According to an interview he did with Talk Nerdy With Us, Price agreed to go on the steamy reality show because he wanted to find love and a real relationship — and, for a while, he thought he did. Dominique quickly noticed and began pursuing Kate Griffith, a woman who had come to the island with her boyfriend David Benavidez. Dominique and Kate first bonded over their love of fitness. As he said in the interview, "Me and [Kate] worked out in the morning and that's when we got closer."

Apparently they didn't get close enough. Dominique and Kate didn't leave the island together officially. Instead, as he revealed, "She came right to my hotel and we spent the whole week together in Hawaii by ourselves, just so she could see if it was real or not." She must not have thought it was, as she went back to her boyfriend and blocked poor Dominique on social media. But he seems to be doing well despite the breakup — even telling Quality Man magazine that he wants to have kids "hopefully within the next couple years."

When compared to some of the other singles on Temptation Island Season 2, Rachel Hamel didn't get into very much drama. The swimsuit designer simply came on the show to make a connection, as she told Talk Nerdy With Us. She did make a connection with Casey Starchak, even though he came onto the island in a relationship with Ashley Howland. "At the mixer, I kind of got to know Casey a little bit better, and I just kind of felt more myself around him," she told Talk Nerdy With Us. "I felt more comfortable. I think with some of the other guys, I didn't have that natural connection." Hamel also said that she was attracted to Casey because "he's a loving, goofy guy and it's really easy to talk about anything [with him]." 

Despite the attraction, Rachel did not end up with Casey. Instead, as her Instagram seems to show, she's in a relationship with a different man. One post shows her walking hand in hand with this new guy on a tropical vacation, and another shows her snuggling up to his neck in a romantic way. The best part? Hamel looks very happy.

Payton Burgess, a bartender from South Carolina, appeared on Season 2 of Temptation Island. "My love life in general had kind of come to a halt," Burgess told Greenville News. "I've been single for a very long time. When I was reached out to by the show, I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to go out of my comfort zone." The brunette definitely did, as she was part of two dramatic plot lines on the show: a fight with Casey Starchak and an alleged threesome. As Burgess revealed to PopCulture, she had eyes for Starchak from the beginning: "As soon as I saw him, I was like target number one." But he was already in a relationship with Ashley Howland, and, as Burgess claimed, he led her on. "It was a lot of misleading connection, to be honest," she attested.

Burgess was then part of an alleged threesome with Samantha Hoffman and David Benavidez. Her message to people who might not have liked her actions? "I really don't care." And Peyton clearly doesn't, as she's living her best life with an adorable puppy named Kane, and several stunning new tattoos.

Jose Rodriguez is a former college basketball player from Sacramento, as noted by KSFM Radio. The handsome young man appeared on Temptation Island Season 2 to find a lady who is "wifey material," as Women's Health reported. And judging by his social media, he may have done just that. Ashley Goldson, who came to the island as part of a couple, took Jose on her final date. Though they didn't leave the island together, they fueled relationship rumors with their frequent flirting both on Instagram and in real life. 

After Goldson made an Instagram post of her and Jose, writing in the caption, "This thanksgiving someone will be shaking tables arriving with a new bae... I didn't say me. I said someone," Jose took to the comment section. One user wrote, "Ya'll look hella good together," and Jose responded, "That's what I'm sayin!" Then, in a since-deleted Instagram story reported by Bustle, Jose and Ashley danced the night away together in a club. Very suspicious, no? However, based on his social media, it doesn't appear that the two are in a relationship.