Bachelor Host Chris Harrison (right) starring current star Matt James.
ABC
Not everything comes up for Chris Harrison. The longtime host of ABC’s popular Bachelor franchise announced on Saturday that he will be giving up on presenting The Bachelor “for a while” while the reaction continues over his comments about photos of a current contestant having a party with the antebellum attend plantation theme.
The controversial photos ushered in a painful period in American history before the end of the civil war, ensuing serious, psychological scrutiny among Bachelor supporters and former contestants about race, representation, and accountability. A change.org petition calling for Harrison to be removed as host of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and spinoff shows received more than 39,500 signatures on Sunday afternoon. And Rachel Lindsay, the first Black Bachelorette star, says she’s done with the franchise.
“I’ve been listening to the pain my words have caused for the past few days, and I’m deeply sorry,” Harrison said in a public apology on Saturday, the second in a week. “My ignorance has harmed my friends, colleagues and strangers … Now, just as I taught my children to stand up and possess their deeds, I will do the same.”
Here is the whole brouhaha, broken down.
What did Chris Harrison say (or not say)?
During an extra interview Tuesday with former Bachelorette star and current TV presenter Rachel Lindsay, Lindsay looted photos that appeared of Rachael Kirkconnell, a contestant on season 25 of The Bachelor, which is now airing. The images show Kirkconnell with fellow members during a party-themed plantation theme during college in 2018.
The photos sparked strong reaction on social media as it evokes the centuries-long racist history of the South. Matt James, star of the current season, is the first black star of the show, and Kirkconnell, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Cumming, Georgia, is rumored to be the one he chooses to marry / date / appear on the cover of People magazine with after conquering his field of love interests. Kirkconnell is also accused of liking racist posts on social media, including some displaying Confederate flag bearers.
Rachael Kirkconnell, who appears on a date with Matt James in The Bachelor, is reportedly his forerunner.
ABC
“We all need to have a little bit of grace, a little bit of understanding, a little bit of compassion,” Harrison, 49, said during the interview with Lindsay. “Because I’ve seen a few things online – this judge, jury, executioner where people just tear the girl’s life apart and dive into, like her parents, her parents’ voting record. It’s incredibly worrying to watch this. I I have not yet heard Rachael talk about this. Until I really hear that this woman has a chance to talk, who am I to say this? I saw a picture of her at a women’s party five years ago and that’s it. ‘
Harrison, host of The Bachelor since 2002, said that although he did not defend the event, people in 2018 would not have investigated an Old South party “under the same lens” as in 2021, given the heightened awareness of racial inequality in the midst of Black Lives Matter movement. Lindsay, an outspoken advocate of diversity in the franchise, disagrees. You can see the interview below.
“It never looks pretty,” Lindsay said, emphasizing the photos’ implicit connection to slavery and decline. ‘She celebrates the Old South. What would I represent if I went to the party? ‘ Lindsay, who hosts a Bachelor Nation podcast and sometimes makes comos in the program, has since said she will not renew her contract with the franchise if it expires.
“I’m exhausted. I’ve really had enough,” Lindsay said on Friday’s episode of her Spotify Original Podcast Higher Learning.
How did the public react to Rachel Lindsay’s interview?
Harrison loyal supporters have who stands behind him and rejects the “awake police” and “cancels culture.” One Twitter follower wrote: “Sorry to have to apologize. I can not believe everyone has become so sensitive.” One Instagram comment reads: “I can not wait until you are back and continue doing something millions of us would love to see done!”
Criticism continued to grow, including on Twitter and The Bachelor subreddit, where discussion of the controversy overshadowed all the other Bachelor buzz for days.
Chris Harrison said we should not judge her for going to a party-themed party because “we were not as awake then as we are now.” Pic is from 2018.
I graduated in 2009. When I notice that one of my friends went to a party like that, I knock the shit out of their sight.
– Diggy Moreland (@diggymoreland) 11 February 2021
A number of high-profile contestants, including Mike Johnson, Taylor Nolan and former Bachelorette stars Tayshia Adams, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jillian Harris, have expressed deep disappointment with Harrison and his choice of words and called on series producers to make contestants more accurate. to vet. Matt James, the star of the season’s show, on Friday expressed his gratitude to Lindsay for continuing to shine a spotlight on representation and responsibility in the franchise, which has criticized fans for their lack of diversity.
“I’m very grateful to have Rachel as a mentor during this season,” James wrote on Instagram. “Your advocacy of BIPOC people in the franchise is invaluable. I stand with you and the rest of the women who advocate for change and accountability.”
The previous day, nearly every contestant from The Bachelor Season 25, including Kirkconnell, posted the same message on social media in which he rejected a defense of racism.
“Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and ongoing experiences of BIPOC individuals,” the statement said. “These experiences should not be exploited or recorded.”
“Rachel Lindsay continues to plead with ‘mercy’ for individuals who identify themselves as BIPOC in this franchise,” the statement concluded. “Just because she’s talking the loudest does not mean she’s alone. We stand with her, we hear her and plead for change next to her. ‘
The men of season 16 of The Bachelorette, who preceded Matt James’ season of The Bachelor and contained two consecutive appearances, including Adams, who is black, also issued a statement denouncing racist behavior and any defense thereof . ”
“We had the opportunity to be part of one of the most diverse roles in the history of the franchise,” the statement said. “The addition of more people identifying themselves as BIPOC has opened up the conversation about race, community and who we are as human beings. A conversation that has long since ceased to be necessary.”
What about Chris Harrison’s first apology?
Harrison issued the following statement on Wednesday, ahead of Saturday’s announcement that he would take time to present duties:
“To my Bachelor Nation family – I will always make a mistake when I make one, and that’s why I’m here to make a sincere apology,” it reads. “I have this amazing platform to talk about love, and yesterday I took a stand on topics I should have been better informed about.”
“Although I did not speak to Rachael Kirkconnell, my intention was merely to ask for mercy to give her the opportunity to speak on her behalf,” he continued. “What I now realize I did is do harm by speaking wrong in a way that perpetuates racism, and I’m so deeply sorry about that. I’m also apologizing to my friend Rachel Lindsay for not being better at it. “listened to her on a subject she did not have. first-hand understanding of, and humbly thanked the members of the Bachelor Nation for holding me accountable. I promise to do better.”
Bachelor Nation, for those who do not follow the reality TV franchise, refers to fans and former contestants of the long-running romance. You do not need a visa to visit Bachelor Nation, just a TV or computer. Bachelor Nation is known for its dedicated fans with a large presence on social media, where weekly episodes unleash an amusing series of memes and jokes that can get thousands of likes and comments. Reactions to the drama and fast-paced relationships are often funny and poignant, and this show seeped into Harrison’s public outcry this week. However, most discussions have a gloomy tone.
Harrison’s second apology was even more powerful.
“To the Black community, to the BIPOC community: I’m so sorry,” it reads. “My words were hurtful. I’m listening, and I’m really sorry for my ignorance and the pain it caused. I want to thank myself from the people from these communities with whom I’ve had enlightening conversations over the past few days, and I is so grateful to those who assisted me in helping me on my path to anti-racism. ‘
ABC did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Kirkconnell, in turn, issued her own apology after Harrison’s interview, saying, “I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist. I am sorry for the communities and individuals that my actions were harmed and insulted. I am ashamed of my lack. but it’s nobody’s responsibility to educate me. ‘
“I deserve to be held accountable for my actions,” she concluded. “I will never grow unless I realize what is wrong. I do not think one excuse means that I deserve your forgiveness, but hope that I can earn your forgiveness through my future actions.”