Chris Harrison, longtime host of The bachelor, is “moving away” from the television franchise after apologizing for defending competitor Rachael Kirkconnell, who has been accused of racism.
“I have spent the past few days listening to the pain my words have caused and I am deeply sorry,” wrote the 49-year-old presenter on Instagram on Saturday. “My ignorance has hurt my friends, colleagues and strangers. I have no one to blame but myself for what I said and the way I spoke. I set standards for myself and didn’t find them. I feel it with every fiber of my being. Now, just as I taught my children to get up and recognize their actions, I will do the same. “
He continued: “By excusing historical racism, I defended it. I invoked the term ‘I woke up the police’, which is unacceptable. I am ashamed of how uninformed I was. I was so wrong.”
The scandal started on February 4, when pictures of Kirkconnell, 24, a white competitor in the 25th season of The bachelor (starring Matt James, the first black bachelor in the show’s 21-year history), surfaced when she attended a fraternity party in 2018 with a pre-war planting theme, and a TikTok user claimed that Kirkconnell once intimidated her for dating a black man.
Amid the subsequent reaction, James spoke in defense of Kirkconnell. “The rumors are dark and unpleasant and can ruin people’s lives,” he said Entertainment Tonight. “So, I would give people the benefit of the doubt and I hope she has time to talk about it.”
Harrison got involved on Tuesday when he told Rachel Lindsay, the franchise’s first black maiden in 2017, who sympathized with Kirkconnell. “We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion,” said Harrison during his Extra interview. “Because I saw some things online – this judge, jury and executioner thing where people are destroying this girl’s life and diving into, like, their parents, their parents’ voting history. It’s incredibly alarming to watch that. I haven’t heard it yet. Rachael talking about it. Until I really hear this woman get a chance to speak, who am I to say this? I saw a picture of her at a frat party five years ago and that’s it. “
When Lindsay commented that the photos were not “looking good,” Harrison replied, “Is he looking good in 2018 or not looking good in 2021?”
Lindsay pointed out that Kirkconnell was representing the “Old South” to which Harrison replied: “… You are 100 percent right – in 2021. That was not the case in 2018. Again, I am not defending Rachael. I just know, I don’t know, 50 million people did it in 2018 … it was a type of party that many people went to. ”The television host was toasted for his comments, including by Single Nation competitors, and issued an apology for “speaking in a way that perpetuates racism.” Kirkconnell also apologized for his “ignorant” and “racist” actions in an Instagram post.
On Friday, Lindsay said about her University education podcast that she had a “love-hate relationship” with the television series. “I am contractually bound in some ways,” she added. “But when everything is ready, I am too. I can’t do this anymore.”
In his post on Saturday, Harrison admitted that his words were damaging to the Black and BIPOC communities. “I am listening and I really apologize for my ignorance and for any pain this has caused you,” he wrote. “… This historic era of The bachelor I must not be harmed or overshadowed by my mistakes. To that end, I consulted Warner Bros. and ABC and I will be away for a period of time and I will not be joining After the Final Rose Special.”
Harrison said he would focus on educating himself “on a deeper and more productive level than ever”, adding: “From here on, I can only try to evolve and be a better man and humiliate myself before all of you. I hope so. Again live up to the expectations you all have for me and the expectations I have for myself. “
Shortly after Harrison’s announcement, his girlfriend and Entertainment Tonight Presenter Lauren Zima spoke. “What Chris said was wrong and disappointing,” she wrote on Instagram. “The defense of racism can never happen. Responsibility comes first, what comes next is learning and growth.”
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