Love Island's Lauren Wood has clapped back at Women's Aid after the charity accused her partner Harrison Solomon of 'misogyny' and 'sexism' on the show.
Harrison, 22, quit the Majorca villa last week after becoming embroiled in a love triangle with Islanders Toni Laites, 24, and Lauren, 26, which saw the footballer go back and forth between the two women, causing weeks of upset and conflict.
His treatment of the pair was condemned by viewers but much to his dismay, Women's Aid also criticised his actions by releasing a damning statement claiming his behaviour 'reinforces a culture that excuses and trivialises violence against women and girls.'
But dog walker Lauren has declared the charity's statement was 'blown way out of proportion' as she insisted Harrison 'just made a mistake'.
She told Cosmopolitan: 'Erm obviously, I think it was blown out of proportion like he's made a mistake but everyone makes mistakes.
'Like, he's gone about it the wrong way, he knows he has done wrong. I think it was just the timing of everything.
Love Island's Lauren Wood, 26, has clapped back at Women's Aid after the charity accused her partner Harrison Solomon, 22, of 'misogyny' and 'sexism' on the show
Harrison quit the Majorca villa last week after becoming embroiled in a love triangle with Islanders Toni Laites, 24, and Lauren which saw the footballer go back and forth between the two women, causing weeks of upset and conflict
'It was literally just the timing of it but like he said, he isn't a bad person and everyone in the villa knows that.'
MailOnline has contacted Women's Aid for comment.
The Derby-born Islander had a relationship with US waitress Toni before embarking on a new romance with Lauren after meeting her in rival villa Casa Amor, with the couple becoming the first to have sex on the ITV2 show this series.
But Harrison then sparked outrage by convincing Toni, who was unaware he had slept with Lauren, to rekindle, leaving the distraught influencer in floods of tears.
Shortly after their bedroom antics were exposed, Lauren was dumped from the villa and followed out the door by Harrison, who was quickly informed of Women's Aid's criticism which left him dumbstruck.
Fans on X shared their concern for Lauren's disagreement with Women's Aid and wrote: 'She forgive Harrison everything. Let's c once they have split up',
'setting women back omg', 'Standing up for someone is one thing, but brushing off a real issue as “just a mistake” can do more harm than good',
'To think they were trying to support her as well. They literally made that statement to support her',
'Mind you Women’s Aid were backing HER and were fuming about how she was treated and she’s saying this? This girl has set women back 1000 years'.
His treatment of the pair was condemned by viewers but much to his dismay, Women's Aid also criticised his actions by releasing a damning statement claiming his behaviour 'reinforces a culture that excuses and trivialises violence against women and girls'
But dog walker Lauren declared the charity's statement was 'blown way out of proportion' as she insisted Harrison 'just made a mistake'
Fans on X shared their concern for Lauren's disagreement with Women's Aid and wrote: 'She forgive Harrison everything. Let's c once they have split up'
Harrison and Lauren became the first couple in years to be shown having sex on TV after producers held back from airing intimate scenes to protect the mental health of contestants
The reality star, who admits his sexual shenanigans on Love Island have been an awkward talking point with his family, says he regrets acting on impulse in the bedroom
Meanwhile, Harrison revealed what he really thought on the Women's Aid statement in an exclusive interview with MailOnline.
He insisted the charity was wrong to call him out and claims the nature of the statement upset his family.
He said: 'I have seen the backlash and it's hard to digest. I would disagree with a lot of it in terms of my respect for women, I do respect women.
'The worst has been from Women's Aid. I know myself and the girls on the show too, Toni said she knows I'm not a bad person, just went about situations in the wrong way, but the Women's Aid statement wasn't nice... it's not nice coming out of the villa to my mum upset by that so I would say that's been the hardest.'
He added: 'To the women I have hurt, I am obviously sorry. I got it wrong and the back and forth between the two connections caused more harm than I ever intended.
'It wasn't ever an ego thing. I am not proud of how I handled things and I'm not going to make excuses.
'I just want to own it. If people can give me the space to grow from it, I will do everything I can to be better and that's the only thing I can do.
'There is no handbook for how to be on a show like Love Island. It's instincts and intentions. I got some of it right, but I know I got a lot of it wrong, and I know that now.'
Toni, who's a VIP Las Vegas waitress, fell for Harrison following his arrival in the villa a week after the show's launch
The pair, who went back and forth with their romance, connected over Harrison's experience living in Miami where he played semi-pro football
Lauren was regularly left in tears after feeling humiliated by Harrison and his actions in the Love Island villa
Love Island viewers saw Harrison and Lauren reunite for the first time on Sunday evening's Aftersun, hosted by Maya Jama, after the couple flew home separately from Majorca
Harrison said the statement issued by Women's Aid, which commented on women being 'lied to, slut-shamed, and laughed at behind their backs' was particularly detrimental given the close relationship he shares with his mother and younger sister.
Harrison says leaving Love Island was a decision he made himself, telling MailOnline: 'I have seen a lot of this online and I feel like I am my own man and I'm going to make my own choices.
'I wouldn't have left one of the biggest TV shows in the UK if I didn't see a future with Lauren. It was a very emotional conversation because she was just dumped, she was acting on emotion, she just wanted to get across to me how much she was into me and wanted to give me a second chance.
'I understand where people are coming from, but Lauren found a proper connection, of course she wanted me to leave with her. Lauren didn't make the decision for me though I followed my heart.'
American contestant Toni believed she had found The One in Harrison, given he was Miami based and in her age range, but after realising she deserved better than to be an option, she told him: 'You treated me like s*** repeatedly and I tried to walk away multiple times. Please don't treat Lauren this way.'
