Former “The Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay spoke about her interview with Chris Harrison, which generated a considerable setback this week, in relation to the host’s controversial comments about the race.
Lindsay says he will not renew his contract with the franchise “The Bachelor” when it ends. She currently hosts a Bachelor Nation podcast and is part of the “The Bachelor” family with special on-screen appearances in various episodes over the seasons.
“I’m fucking tired. I’m exhausted. I’ve really had enough, ”said Lindsay in the February 12 episode of Van Lathan’s“ Higher Learning ”podcast, where she spoke extensively about Harrison’s interview.
Lindsay starred as “The Bachelorette” in 2017, becoming the first black star in the series. This year, in 2021, Matt James became the first black “bachelor”. Lindsay met her now husband, Bryan Abasolo, on the ABC reality show.
“My only reason for doing ‘The Bachelorette’ – and I was lucky that it worked for me in the most beautiful way to find Bryan – is that I wanted to be representative as a black woman to this audience. And I wanted to pave the way for more people to have that opportunity, ”said Lindsay on the podcast. “In a way, it happened. I wanted the franchise to be better. I have a love-hate relationship with him. I’m connected to that. You did things for me and I will never forget that. “
Lindsay, a lawyer who is also a correspondent for “Extra”, said she is not sure if she wants to continue with the franchise, due to this week’s controversy.
This is not the first time Lindsay has said she will break ties with “The Bachelor”. Last summer, in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, she said she would be leaving if a Black Bachelor was not cast. (Days after his comments, James was announced as the show’s first black star.)
In this week’s podcast, Lindsay explained: “But how much more do I want to be affiliated with this? How much more can I take with things like that? I said I would leave if they didn’t have colored clues. Okay, they did that and some other changes. They hired a diversity consultant – who didn’t attend classes? Didn’t Chris Harrison watch this? I’m confused about how you could have entire consultants working for you, but what happened just happened ”
“I can’t take it anymore,” said Lindsay. “I am contractually bound in some ways. But when everything is ready, I am too. I can’t do this anymore. “
Warner Bros. TV, the studio behind the franchise “The Bachelor”, which currently has Lindsay under contract, did not respond Varietyrequest for comment from.
A Lindsay representative did not immediately respond to Varietyrequest for additional comments.
“The Bachelor” is facing heavy criticism this week, following host Harrison’s comments about a leading competitor, Rachael Kirkconnell, whose past racist behavior has resurfaced on social media. (Pictures of Kirkconnell appearing at a formal pre-war plantation fraternity ceremony in 2018, and she reportedly liked photos on social media containing the Confederate flag.)
Kirkconnell apologized yesterday, saying his “ignorance was racist”.
Before Kirkconnell’s apology, Harrison sat down with Lindsay for an interview on “Extra”, where he made a big effort during the 14-minute discussion, apparently defending Kirkconnell and speaking out against the cancellation of the culture.
Amid strong reactions, Harrison apologized. “I took a position on topics I should be better informed about,” he said. “What I now realize that I did was to cause harm by saying the wrong thing in a way that perpetuates racism, and for that I deeply regret. I also apologize to my friend Rachel Lindsay for not listening to her better on a subject she understood firsthand, and I humbly thank the Bachelor Nation members who came to me to take responsibility. I promise to do better. “
Lindsay, on today’s podcast, shared her thoughts on her interview with Harrison. She says that she and Harrison talked privately after the interview and stated that she appreciates his apology, “but I am going through a very, very difficult time to reason or, like, really accept and accept this apology”.
“During that conversation, he talked about me and me, during that conversation,” said Lindsay. “He never gave me space to speak. And he never gave me space to share my perspective. He was not trying to hear. He was just trying to be heard. That’s because I felt that he had an agenda that he was trying to push. He was really trying to move this forward. He expressed everything he said, with passion and conviction. So for me, Tuesday is what it was. And I’m not saying that he can’t apologize. I’m not saying that he can’t learn and improve with it. “
After the controversy, yesterday, women from the current season of “The Bachelor” came together to post a joint statement, speaking out against the defense of racism.
“Twenty-five women who identify themselves as BIPOC have been selected for this historic season that should represent a change,” the statement said. “We are deeply disappointed and we want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism. Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals. These experiences should not be exploited or tokenized. “