“The Bachelor” leader Matt James broke his silence about the growing controversy surrounding the show, as longtime host Chris Harrison continues to be criticized for perpetuating racism during a recent interview.
James, the first black star of “The Bachelor”, is not only calling Harrison for his words “disturbing and painful”, but also blaming the general franchise for dealing with diversity and race over the two decades he’s been in.
“The past few weeks have been one of the most challenging of my life, and while there are still several episodes of the season, it is important that I take the time to address the worrying information that has surfaced since we finished filming,” James wrote on his Instagram on Monday, hours before a new episode of “The Bachelor” airs on ABC.
The controversy first arose earlier this year, when previous photos of competitor Rachael Kirkconnell – current pioneer, who is still competing in the James season – surfaced on social media, showing her at an eventThe ntebellum-themed fraternity was formalized in 2018. Kirkconnell was also accused on TikTok of racially insensitive behavior, including photos of tanning that contained the Confederacy flag.
Harrison then went to the entertainment news program, “Extra,” to chat with former “Bachelorette” and correspondent, Rachel Lindsay, who asked Harrison about the controversy surrounding Kirkconnell. During the long discussion with Lindsay, Harrison went to great lengths to defend Kirkconnell, which resulted in widespread criticism and prompted Harrison to apologize for “speaking in a way that perpetuates racism”.
Soon after, Harrison announced that he would be leaving the franchise for an undisclosed period, including not appearing in “After the Final Rose”, which will serve as the final episode of James’ season.
In his statement on Monday, James questioned Harrison and Kirkconnell’s “incredibly disappointing” photos, as well as the franchise as a whole, which he says has “fallen short” when it comes to dealing with diversity and race.
“The reality is that I am learning about these situations in real time and it has been devastating and painful to be honest,” wrote James.
“Chris’s failure to receive and understand the emotional work that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on in explaining gracefully and patiently the racist story of Antebellum South, a painful story that every American should understand intimately, was worrying and painful to watch,” James continuous. “As blacks and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much bigger problem that the ‘The Bachelor’ franchise failed to address adequately for years.”
“This moment generated critical conversations and reports, raised important questions and resulted in inspiring demonstrations of solidarity by the Bachelor nation,” continued James. ”“ It also prompted me to reevaluate and process what my experience in ‘The Bachelor’ represents, not only for me, but for all color contestants, especially the black contestants of this season and previous ones, and for you, the House. “
James concluded his heartfelt statement by writing: “I will continue to process this experience and you will hear more from me in the end. My greatest prayer is that this is a turning point that will result in real and institutional change for the better. “
James had previously talked about Kirkconnell’s photos on social media, but his initial comments were made before Harrison’s controversial interview and before more information about Kirkconnell surfaced – at the time, the competitor had not talked about the authenticity of the photos .
“I haven’t spoken to anyone since the show ended, but I’d say you have to be very careful about what you’re doing on social media,” said James in early February, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, when asked about the allegations. “The rumors are dark and unpleasant and can ruin people’s lives. So, I would give people the benefit of the doubt, and I hope she has time to talk about it. “
As James wrote on his social media on Monday, he has been discovering new information, along with viewers at home, since filming for his season ended.
Shortly after Harrison’s “Extra” interview with Lindsay, Kirkconnell submitted his own apology. “Although rumors are circulating, there are also truths that have surfaced and that I need to address. I heard you and I’m here to say I was wrong, ”wrote Kirkconnell, in part. “At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them … I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”
As the controversy continued to escalate, many contestants for “The Bachelor” came together to speak out against the franchise’s racial issues, including 25 women of James’ season, who had the most diverse cast so far.
“We are the women of the 25th season of ‘Bachelor'”, posted the women earlier this month. “Twenty-five women who identify themselves as BIPOC have been selected for this historic season that should represent a change. We are deeply disappointed and we want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism. Any defense of racist behavior negates the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals. These experiences should not be exploited or tokenized. “
ABC has not released any statement about the controversy at this time. Variety contacted the network to comment on James’s post.