Most Love Island contestants leave their jobs for a shot at love, but not all of their former employers are rooting for them.
Shortly after Sean Reifel was announced as part of the Season 8 cast, the mayor of Bethlehem, Pa., spoke out about the 29-year-old’s decision to ditch his job for the show.
Before joining the cast, Reifel worked as a police officer with the Bethlehem Police Department.
“I’m not a model, not an actor. I’m a police officer, actually,” Reifel said on Peacock’s “Meet the Islanders” preview. “You could be having the worst day of your life, and I’ll just help you sift through that.”
What he did not mention is that he already handed in his badge.
Mayor speaks out
Mayor William Reynolds confirmed that Sean Reifel resigned from the department before joining the show. By: fred moon/unsplash
Mayor William Reynolds confirmed that Reifel resigned from the department before joining the show. The department’s police captain also verified he is no longer employed there.
“Our police department spent a lot of time training [him], and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy. We are disappointed he left as we now have another vacancy in our department that is impossible to fill until next year,” Reynolds said.
“I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer,” he added.
Time on the force
Sean Reifel was on the job for about a year before he decided to prioritize his love life. By: Peacock/YouTube
Reifel was on the job for about a year before he decided to prioritize his love life.
According to a post on the Bethlehem Police Department’s Facebook page, he was sworn in as an officer in August 2025, with the department wishing him “success as he embarks on this journey of service to our community.”
Police Chief Michelle Kott, Reifel’s former boss, also shared her disappointment about his decision. “I love Sean. He’s a good guy. He was a great officer. But I’m disappointed,” Kott told The Morning Call. “We work so incredibly hard to try to recruit the best people we can to be part of the Bethlehem Police Department.”
Kott went on to explain why taking a leave of absence and coming back after the show is not a realistic option.
“At this time, I don’t think there’d be a department that would be willing to allow someone to leave for X amount of weeks to go on a television show when everyone’s hurting right now and overtime is being utilized to fill those gaps,” she said. “Officers are getting burnt out. It’s just a bad look to me.”
Sean Reifel’s custody battle
Sean Reifel was involved in a custody dispute over his 2-year-old son. By: tingey injury law firm/unsplash
The job controversy is not the only baggage Reifel is bringing with him into the villa. He was also involved in a custody dispute over his 2-year-old son, Ravello.
In January 2025, Reifel filed a custody complaint in Pennsylvania against his former partner, Nicole Santiago, according to court records obtained by the New York Post.
Although many of the filings are sealed, a judge ordered a temporary co-parenting arrangement granting both parents shared custody. Court records also show that Reifel was living out of state when the order was put in place.
The terms of Sean Reifel’s custody agreement
Under the arrangement, Sean Reifel is able to see his son on a rotating schedule. By: Peacock/YouTube
Under the arrangement, Reifel is able to see his son on a rotating schedule. Both parents now make joint decisions about their son’s medical care, education, religion and activities.
The order requires both parties to refrain from making negative comments about each other in any context that could reach the child, including social media posts.
Court filings cited by The Post also noted that Reifel was expected to relocate back to Pennsylvania in mid-2025.