Earlier this month, longtime ‘Bachelor’ franchise host Chris Harrison announced he would be stepping down from the series after he failed to condemn the behavior of last season’s ‘Bachelor’ winner Rachael Kirkconnell for images that emerged of her attendance at a plantation themed party back in 2018. Now, Harrison is using his dismissal from the ABC franchise to request a significant payout from the network, claiming he would release years worth of secrets if they fail to meet his demands.
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According to a source for Page Six, Harrison has requested a $25 million payout from ABC, warning that he would release years of damning details from the show if the network should choose not to pay him. A source from ABC told Page Six, “He has nearly 20 years of dirt. Instead of handing them a rose, he was absolutely ready to hand them a lawsuit detailing all the behind-the-scenes details.”
Harrison, who has been hosting versions of the ‘Bachelor’ franchise for 19 years is reportedly upset to have been forced to step down amidst racial controversy from last season, and fought tooth and nail to keep his job. The source revealed, “He knows a lot about inappropriate behavior on set: fights between contestants, misbehavior including use of illegal substances while overseas and complaints from producers that were allegedly brushed under the carpet by ABC execs.”
They continued, “He was ready to tell the truth about how things really work over there — and he has plenty of evidence to back him up. Chris was making $5 million a season and wanted $25 million to go.” According to another source from ABC, a settlement was eventually reached with Harrison, but it is reportedly not the $25 million he requested. The former host also hired lawyer Bryan Freedman to help him in the settlement, which only stood to raise tensions throughout negotiations.
Harrison has issued a public apology regarding his defense of former ‘Bachelor’ winner Kirkconnell, but it seems that this was not enough to keep his position on the popular ABC show. It’s unclear what Harrison’s next career move will be, but it feels safe to say that he’s not likely to be back at ABC anytime soon.
