Not everything goes on roses for Chris Harrison. The longtime host of ABC's undergraduate franchise said on Saturday that he will no longer host the undergraduate degree "for a period" because his comments on photos showing a current candidate attending an antebellum plantation party Represent backlash.
The controversial images recall a painful time in American history before the Civil War ended slavery and have sparked serious discussions about race, representation, and accountability among undergraduate fans and former candidates. A Change.org petition calling for Harrison to be removed from the bachelor, bachelorette, and spin-off shows has received more than 39,000 signatures on Saturday night. And Rachel Lindsay, the first Black Bachelorette star, says she's done with the franchise.
"I've spent the past few days listening to the pain my words have caused and I am deeply remorseful," Harrison said in a public apology, the second this week. "My ignorance has harmed my friends, co-workers, and strangers alike ... Now, just as I've taught my children to stand up and own their actions, I'll do the same."
Here the whole brouhaha, broken.
What did Chris Harrison say (or not say)?
During an extra interview this week with former Bachelorette star and current TV host Rachel Lindsay, Lindsay showed off photos of Rachael Kirkconnell, a contestant on The Bachelor's 25th season, which is now airing. She showed the pictures in 2018 at a college fraternity celebration on the topic of antebellum plantation.
The photos sparked strong reactions on social media as they recall the racist history of the South before the civil war. The current season's star Matt James is the show's first black lead actor, and Kirkconnell, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Cumming, Georgia, is said to be the one he chooses to marry / date / appear on the cover of People Magazine with after breaking down his field of love interests. Kirkconnell has also been accused of liking racist social media posts, including some displaying Confederate flags.
"We all need a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion," said 49-year-old Harrison during the interview with Lindsay. "Because I've seen some stuff online - this judge, jury and executioner thing where people are just tearing this girl's life apart and delving into her parents' voting results. It's incredibly alarming to see that. I have I have Haven't heard Rachael talk about it yet. Until I actually hear that this woman has the opportunity to speak, who should I say about it? I saw a picture of her at a sisterhood party five years ago and that was it. "
Harrison, who has hosted the Bachelor since 2002, said that while not defending the gathering, people did not examine an Old South party in 2018 "under the same lens" as they did in 2021, amid heightened awareness of racial inequality amid the Black Lives Matter Movement. Lindsay, an outspoken advocate of diversity in the franchise, disagreed.
"It never looks good," said Lindsay, emphasizing the implicit connection of the photos with slavery and humiliation. "It's celebrating the old south. If I went to that party, what would I represent?" Lindsay - who hosts a Bachelor Nation podcast and sometimes makes cameos on the show - has since said she won't renew her contract with the franchise when it runs out. "I'm exhausted. I've really had enough," said Lindsay on the Friday episode of her Spotify Original Podcast Higher Learning.
How did the public react to Rachel Lindsay's interview?
Harrison has loyal supporters who stand behind him and decipher the "alert police" and "culture break": "I'm sorry that you had to apologize," wrote a Twitter follower. "I can't believe that everyone has become so sensitive." Read an Instagram response to his time off announcement: "Cant wait for you to get back and get on with something millions of us want to see!" Nonetheless, criticism has continued to mount, including on Twitter and The Bachelor Subreddit, where discussion of the controversy has overshadowed all other Bachelor buzz actions for days.
Chris Harrison said we shouldn't judge her for going to a plantation-themed party because "we didn't wake up then as we do now". The picture is from 2018.
I graduated in 2009. If I found out one of my friends went to a party like this, I immediately knock the shit out of their eyes.
- Diggy Moreland (@diggymoreland) February 11, 2021
A number of high profile contestants, including Mike Johnson, Taylor Nolan and former Bachelorette stars Tayshia Adams, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jillian Harris, have expressed disappointment with Harrison and his choice of words, and urged the series producers to examine the candidates more closely. Matt James, the star of this year's show, thanked Lindsay on Friday for continuing to shine a light on representation and responsibility in the franchise, which fans have criticized for its lack of diversity.
"I'm so grateful to have Rachel as my mentor this season," wrote James on Instagram. "Your advocacy for BIPOC franchise workers is invaluable. I stand by you and the rest of the women who advocate change and accountability."
The day before, nearly every undergraduate season 25 candidate, including Kirkconnell, posted the same message on social media denouncing any "defense of racism".
"Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals," the statement said. "These experiences must not be exploited or symbolized."
"Rachel Lindsay continues to" grace "advocate people who identify as BIPOC within this franchise," the statement concludes. "Just because she speaks the loudest doesn't mean that she is alone. We stand by her, we hear her and we work next to her for change."
The Bachelorette season 16 men who preceded Matt James' season of The Bachelor and starred two consecutive stars including Adams, who is black, also issued a statement denouncing "racist behavior and any defense of it". ""
"We had the opportunity to be part of one of the most diverse casts in franchise history," the statement said. "The addition of more people who identify as BIPOC has opened the conversation about race, community and who we are as humans. A conversation that was long overdue."
What about Chris Harrison's first apology?
On Wednesday, before it was announced on Saturday that he would break off hosting duties, Harrison made the following statement:
"For my Bachelor Nation family - I'll always have a mistake if I make one, so I'm here to make my heartfelt apologies," it said. "I have this amazing platform to talk about love, and yesterday I was talking about topics that I should have been better informed about."
"While I am not speaking for Rachael Kirkconnell, I just wanted to beg her mercy by giving her the opportunity to speak on her own behalf," he continued. "What I realize now is that I have done harm by speaking wrongly in a way that perpetuates racism, and I am very sorry. I also apologize to my friend Rachel Lindsay for telling her on a subject That she has, has not listened better. I understand firsthand and humbly thank the members of Bachelor Nation for reaching out to me to hold me accountable. I promise to do better. "
Bachelor Nation, for those who are not following the reality TV franchise, refers to fans and former participants of the long-running romance show. You don't need a visa to attend Bachelor Nation, just a television or computer. Bachelor Nation is a dedicated fan with a vocal presence on social media, where weekly episodes trigger an amusing series of memes and jokes that can garner thousands of likes and comments. The reactions to the show's drama and quick relationships are often funny and snappy, and that tone has invaded Harrison's public treatment this week. Most of the discussion, however, has a somber tone.
Harrison's second apology was even more urgent.
"For the Black Community, for the BIPOC Community: I'm so sorry," they say. "My words were harmful. I am listening and I really apologize for my ignorance and the pain they have caused you. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the people of these communities with whom I have had insightful conversations over the past few days I am very grateful to those who have tried to help me on my way to anti-racism. "
ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
For her part, Kirkconnell apologized after Harrison's interview, saying, "I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist. I am sorry to the communities and individuals that my actions have been harmed and offended. I am ashamed of my lack of education, however it is not my responsibility to educate me. "
"I deserve to be held accountable for my actions," she concluded. "I will never grow unless I realize what I have done is wrong. I do not believe that an apology means that I deserve your forgiveness, but I hope that through my future actions I will deserve your forgiveness can. "
