Matt James, ABC’s first black romantic actor The bachelor, spoke out against controversies surrounding host Chris Harrison and competitor Rachael Kirkconnell. On Monday, James posted a statement on Instagram condemning Harrison and Kirkconnell’s actions.
“The reality is that I am learning about these situations in real time and it has been devastating and painful to be honest,” he wrote. “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.”
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James continues: “As blacks and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much bigger problem that The Bachelor franchise has failed to address adequately for years. “
Earlier this month, Kirkconnell received a reaction after the reappearance of photos showing the 24-year-old participating in a formal pre-war planting fraternity ceremony in 2018. The competitor apologized for the old photos, noting that she was ignorant and that his “ignorance was racist”.
Kirkconnell’s photos became the subject of an interview between Harrison and competitor Lindsay. At the Extra In the interview, Harrison defended the season’s favorite, noting that the photos were taken a long time ago and suggesting that Kirkconnell had become a target of the cancellation culture. After the social media interview and reaction, Harrison stepped down as a host and will not appear in the series recap episode.
With racism and racial issues in the spotlight of the Nation of Singles, James said the controversies led him to “reevaluate and process what my experience in The Bachelor represents” for black competitors, specifically black competitors.
“I will continue to process this experience and you will hear more from me in the end,” he wrote. “My greatest prayer is that this will be a turning point that will result in real and institutional change for the better.”
See James’ full statement below.