Painful amount of hate toward Lindsay, say show producers
Last week, Lindsay deleted her Instagram account amid an onslaught of abuse following Harrison’s departure from the show
Executive producers of the TV franchise “The Bachelor” released a statement on Monday night condemning racist online atacks aimed at Rachel Lindsay ater the former “Bachelorete” held longtime “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison accountable.
Their message comes weeks ater Harrison announced he would be “stepping aside” indefinitely from his emcee duties following an “Extra” interview with Lindsay in which he defended past racist actions of current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.
When asked by Lindsay to address Kirkconnell’s past behaviour — which included atending an antebellum-themed fraternity party in 2018 — Harrison suggested that participating in an event glorifying a period marked by racism and slavery had only recently been considered wrong and that Kirkconnell did not deserve the backlash.
“As Executive Producers of The Bachelor Franchise we would like to make it perfectly clear that any harassment directed towards Rachel Lindsay in the atermath of her interview with Chris Harrison is completely inexcusable,” Monday’s statement stated.
“Rachel has received an unimaginable amount of hate and has been subjected to severe online bullying, which, more oten than not, has been rooted in racism. That is totally unacceptable. Rachel has been an incredible advocate for our cast, and we are grateful that she has worked tirelessly toward racial equity and inclusion.”
The showrunners published their address as the “Women Tell All” episode of the “Bachelor” series’ 25th season, starring Mat James, aired on ABC. James, the franchise’s first Black “Bachelor,” has also spoken out in support of Lindsay while denouncing Harrison’s conduct.
“Chris’s failure to receive and understand the emotional labour that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch,” James wrote last month in a statement.
Last week, Lindsay deleted her Instagram account amid an onslaught of abuse following Harrison’s departure from the show. In February, Harrison apologised for his “harmful” comments regarding Kirkconnell. “I will always own a mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology,” Harrison said. “I have this incredible plaform to speak about love, and yesterday I took a stance on topics about which I should have been beter informed.”
Kirkconnell — who, like Harrison, is white — also issued an apology, stating, “I didn’t recognise how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them... I was ignorant but my ignorance was racist.” Lindsay, who made history as the first Black “Bachelorete,” was not satisfied with Harrison’s response to the controversy and was among multiple former contestants of colour who deemed his apology insincere. Though Lindsay has remained involved in the ABC franchise thus far through her “Bachelor”-themed podcast and TV appearances, she has said publicly that she is strongly considering leaving the brand once her contract expires because of recent events.