The Truth About Love Island USA's Rob Rausch
We've got a text! We heard that you want to know more about "Love Island" star, Rob Rausch. #WhoisRobRausch #TheTruthAboutRob. Well, the reality star first graced our screens in July 2023 when he joined the cast of "Love Island USA" Season 5. Rausch arrived on the 16th day of the dating series and lasted a whole five days before getting dumped off the island. He had a blast on the show, however, telling WAFF 48, "It was a great experience. I'm glad I did it. Uh, met some great people, met some good friends, and it will always be a fun memory for sure." It was such a good time that Rausch came back for the sixth season in Summer 2024.
During his second go at the reality dating show, Rausch had much more time in the villa. He was one of the original single boys and managed to hang on until just before the season finale. The reality star had a whirlwind experience this time around with drama, tears, and love triangles. From his tumultuous relationship with castmate Leah Kateb to his bromance with Aaron Evans, Rausch's second stint in the villa was quite controversial. But whether you love or hate him, people can't help but be intrigued by Rausch and his life. So, we're diving into all the details.
Rob Rausch never stopped liking Leah Kateb
Despite all the rumors that "Love Island USA" is fake, it certainly wasn't to viewers who watched Season 6. If you witnessed the season unfold, you were probably caught up in the crazy relationship between Rob Rausch and Leah Kateb. The two paired off right from the jump, but it wasn't long before things got messy. When a new bombshell came in, Rausch decided to ditch Kateb and explore a relationship with Andrea Carmona. However, some viewers couldn't help but feel there was this unspoken connection between Rausch and Kateb up until he left the villa. One X user, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, "I just have to say it ... I'm a Leah and Rob truther. I need them back together more than I need air!! And yes, I AM delusional #LoveIslandUSA."
Many have been divided on Kateb and Rausch's relationship, but the reality star just gave all the Reah shippers out there a reason to create more fan edits. While appearing on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Rausch shared that he never stopped liking Kateb after he coupled up with Carmona. "I still really liked her," he said. "She's an amazing person. So f****** funny."
But before you get too excited about a rekindled romance, Rausch is more focused on creating a good friendship with Kateb. He shared on the podcast, "I think after everything, I think we will be amazing friends, and I think I'd rather just focus on that for now."
Rob Rausch is a snake wrangler
Who knew a snake wrangler was such a thing? Rob Rausch brought attention to the hobby when he appeared on "Love Island USA." He loves snake wrangling so much that he even got a tattoo of the reptile on his bicep. But how does one get into such an activity? For Rausch, it all started when he was a kid.
He revealed on WAFF 48, "I caught my first snake when I was four years old. I've just been doing it ever since." Unlike many celebs who can't stand working with animals, Rausch admitted he loves all types of creatures, but snakes have a special place in his heart. He continued, "Yeah, I be catching snakes here and there ... I've been doing it my whole life. I hope to do it for the rest of it to be honest with you." In addition to sharing his love for the hobby on television, Rausch's social media is filled with photos of him in the wild capturing snakes.
In June 2023, a shirtless Rausch posted photos on Instagram of himself with the reptile he wrangled. He wrote in the caption, "The fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) considered to be the most dangerous snake in central america. had me sweating for sure." From Instagram to "Love Island USA," Rob loves to talk about snake wrangling any chance he gets.
Rob Rausch played sports growing up
On top of being a snake wrangler, Rob Rausch was big into sports. Several photos from his Instagram show that the reality star was quite the athlete growing up. In one post from 2016, Rausch posted an image of himself and what looks to be a friend of his in football gear. It's unclear what grade the reality star was at the time, but it appears that he played for Mars Hill Bible School, as he tagged the location in the photo. Besides football, Rausch also seemed to be big on baseball.
In 2017, Rausch posted a photo of himself on the baseball field to Instagram. He captioned the post, "Ella le gusta la gasoline," which translated to, "She likes the gas." Later that same year, the television star announced the news that he would be taking a step back from baseball. Sharing a snap of himself and his siblings in his baseball uniform, he wrote, "It saddens me to say that my baseball career has come to an end. It was a trip."
Rausch seems to have hung up his football and baseball uniform, as he hasn't posted about the sports since. Instead, he swapped out his athletic passion for a career in Hollywood with his appearance on "Love Island USA."
Did Aaron convince Rob to make a controversial move in the villa?
Season 6 of "Love Island USA" had a lot of jaw-dropping moments, but one of the most shocking parts was when Rob Rausch returned from Casa Amor with Daniela Ortiz Rivera. Viewers are often left stunned after Casa Amor segments because the contestants arriving at the spicy second location usually have a connection back in the villa. However, Rausch didn't, so what made his return so controversial? Well, it was the fact that Rivera had already sparked a romance with fellow castmate, Aaron Evans, who had another strong connection back in the villa.
So why would Rausch bring Rivera back? Perhaps to stir up drama, or maybe he did have an actual connection. It was all confusing to viewers, and many wondered whether Evans had any say in his best buddy bringing Rivera back to the villa.
Rausch finally answered the question on everyone's mind — did Evans ask him to bring back Rivera? When asked by Alex Cooper about this specific question on the "Call Her Daddy," podast, Rausch shared, "Hell no. — Actually, he did! But then after that, like, immediately after that, he was like, 'Terrible idea. Don't bring her back.'" The reality star put a bit of the blame on Evans, but at the end of the day, Rausch admitted that he was interested in getting to know Rivera more. So, after connecting in Casa Amor, and with her romance with Evans ending, Rausch chose to bring her back to the villa.
Rob Rausch is a big family man
Each season, the islanders on "Love Island" refer to each other as their family. But as close as they may get during filming, nothing will ever compare to what they have at home. And one thing about Rob Rausch; he is a big family man. In fact, one of the things that attracted him to his romance with Daniela Ortiz Rivera was that she was the same way. He told Alex Cooper on "Call Her Daddy," "I liked what her [Daniela's] values were, she's very family-oriented like me."
One look at Rausch's social media and it's evident he's close to his siblings. In a 2018 post, the reality star shared that he would do anything for his sister, Bella Rausch, even if it meant attending a Taylor Swift concert. He shared, "Probably the only girl I'd go to a Taylor swift concert for."
Although Rob has lots of love for Bella, he also seems to have a close relationship with his other two siblings — Lily and Adam. In 2020, the "Love Island USA" star posted a dramatic TikTok video of him, Lily, and Adam all dressed up for a family photoshoot. Besides snakes, Rob's other love is clearly his family. No matter what, they are always going to mean the most to the "Love Island USA" star.