The executive producers of The Bachelor have issued a statement in support of Rachel Lindsay. The former star of The Bachelorette was forced to disable her Instagram account after receiving consistent harassment from fans.
“As Executive Producers of The Bachelor Franchise we would like to make it perfectly clear that any harassment directed towards Rachel Lindsay in the aftermath of her interview with Chris Harrison is completely inexcusable,” the executive producers of The Bachelor stated.
“Rachel has received an unimaginable amount of hate and has been subjected to severe online bullying, which, more often 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 towards racial equity and inclusion.”
Lindsay started receiving harassment after an interview with The Bachelor Host Chris Harrison. During the interview, Harrison and Lindsay went toe-to-toe while discussing The Bachelor contestant Rachel Kirkconnell. Recently, photos showed Kirkconnell at a plantation-themed fraternity formal. Lindsay confronted Harrison about the matter and The Bachelor host attempted to defend Kirkconnell. Harrison's comments earned backlash and he has opted to step away from the show indefinitely.
"This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions," Harrison told fans.
"To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After The Final Rose special."
The Bachelor star Matt James also chimed in on the matter. He offered his support for Lindsay, but Kirkconnell remained on the show.
"The reality is that I'm learning about these situations in real-time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly," James wrote.
"Chris's failure to receive and understand the emotional labor 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."
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