The producers of “The Bachelor” broke their silence to condemn the harassment that Rachel Lindsay received from the Bachelor Nation.
“As executive producers of The Bachelor Franchise, we would like to make it clear that any harassment of Rachel Lindsay following the interview with Chris Harrison is completely inexcusable,” the statement said. posted on Twitter during the Monday night episode of “Women Tell All” on the reality show.
“Rachel received an unimaginable amount of hatred and was subjected to severe online aggression, which was most often rooted in racism. This is totally unacceptable “, the statement continued. “Rachel has been an incredible advocate for our cast and we are grateful that she has worked tirelessly for equity and racial inclusion.”
Lindsay, 35, who was the first black Bachelorette contestant in 2017, deleted her Instagram last week following a cyber-attack after confronting Harrison about alleged racist behavior in the past. current competitor Rachael Kirkconnell.
After the interview, in which Harrison defended Kirkconnell, the long-time host of ABC apologized and walked away from the show. He was replaced by Emmanuel Acho to host “Bachelor: After The Final Rose”.
Lindsay said Harrison made the right decision to leave the franchise, but co-host of Lindsay’s “Higher Learning” podcast, Van Lathan, said the reaction led her to give up social media.
“Rachel is not responsible for Chris Harrison, a 49-year-old man who cannot read the room in these 2021 times. She is not responsible for that, “he said. “It’s not her job to apologize or cover for someone who doesn’t understand what triggers fk people in today’s world. Is not. You go after the wrong person. “
Kirkconnell, who competes for Matt James’ heart, apologized for her past behavior and asked fans not to defend her anymore.