Chris Harrison is facing some serious backlash for a recent interview with the franchise’s first Black Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay. During their conversation, the longtime Bachelor Nation host was asked about a current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. When photos from Kirkconnell’s past came to light, many questioned the contestant’s morals. In particular, photos from an antebellum plantation-themed party became a hot topic of discussion. These parties, which celebrate the “Old South,” have racist roots and were banned in 2016. However, Kirkconnell attended one in 2018.
Understandably, fans of the show have expressed concern over these pictures–especially because Kirkconnell herself did not speak out about the allegations right away. When Lindsay asked Harrison about the accusations, the host took it upon himself to defend the Bachelor frontrunner, and his defensiveness sparked even more outrage.
To get the full picture, watch the interview here:
Harrison argued that fans of the show should offer Kirkconnell “a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” as she prepares to speak out. He also referred to her critics as the “woke police.” He explained, “This poor girl Rachael, who has just been thrown to the lions—I don’t how you are equipped when you have never done this before to be woke enough, to be eloquent enough, to be ready to handle this.”
He also suggested that attending the party did not mean that she had bad intentions, and was only being heavily criticized with the perspective of 2021: “My guess? These girls got dressed and went to a party and had a great time. They were 18 years old. Does that make it okay? I don’t know, Rachel, you tell me…but where is this lens we’re holding up and was that lens available and were we all looking through it in 2018?”
Understandably, fans were upset that Chris defended Kirkconnell, but the longtime host’s tone–specifically him speaking over a Black woman while discussing issues of racism–might have angered audiences even more.
In the wake of the interview (and several fans calling for him to be fired), Harrison posted two apologies on his Instagram feed.
His first was definitely more generic:
However, in his second apology, the host announced that he would be stepping aside from the franchise (though it’s still undecided if that will be permanent). Read his full statement here:
After Chris’ apology, Kirkconnel posted one of her own, apologizing to “the communities and individuals that [her] actions have harmed and offended.”
The scandal also prompted other women from this season’s Bachelor to come forward and denounce racism.
