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Matt James, the current star of “The Bachelor,” spoke out amid the show’s ongoing scandal.
The program drew negative attention after the re-shot of photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell who previously attended an ‘Old South’ themed party at a plantation in 2018.
Then longtime host Chris Harrison conducted an interview with former “Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay, who made history as the first Black Bachelorette, in which he ended up defending Kirkonnell in the interview. .
This sparked backlash and the backlash led to a public apology from the 49-year-old star, followed by a decision to step aside for a moment of personal reflection.
‘THE BACHELOR’ MATT JAMES TALKS ABOUT THE PRESSURE OF BEING THE FIRST BLACK LEAD IN THE SHOW
Now James has taken to Instagram to resolve the issue.
“ The Bachelor ” star James has opened up about the “ heartbreaking ” scandal surrounding the series. (ABC / Billy Kidd)
In his lengthy statement, James – who is the Bachelor ‘s first black official – said that “the last few weeks have been some of the most difficult of my life” and that he felt the need to address the issue now, despite his season. still having several episodes to broadcast.
He called Kirkconnell’s photos “incredibly disappointing”.
FORMER BACHELOR FRANCHISE STARS REACT TO MATT JAMES CASTING: “ I CANNOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT ”
“The reality is that I am learning these situations in real time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly,” said James, 29. “Chris’ inability to receive and understand the emotional work my friend Rachel Lindsay was undertaking in gracefully and patiently explaining the racist story of Antebellum South, a painful story that every American should understand intimately, was disturbing and painful to watch. “
Filming for the season has already ended, which means James has presumably picked a winner and no longer sees Harrison every day.
‘Bachelor’ host Chris Harrison (right) conducted an interview with former ‘Bachelorette’ Rachel Lindsay (left) who received a lot of backlash because of her comments about a contestant who attended an ‘Old South’ themed party at a plantation in 2018.
(ABC)
“As Blacks and their allies immediately knew and understood, this was a clear reflection of a much larger problem that The Bachelor franchise has failed to adequately address for years,” a- he added. “This moment sparked critical conversations and reporting, raised important questions and sparked inspiring displays of solidarity from The Bachelor nation.
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James explained that he chose to “re-evaluate and process” his time on the show and that of other people of color – especially black contestants.
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“I will continue to process this experience, and you will hear more from me at the end,” he concluded. “My biggest prayer is that this be an inflection point that results in real and institutional change for the better.”
Kirkconnell also apologized for her past actions which she described as “racist and offensive”.
Representatives for the show and Harrison did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Fox News’ Jessica Napoli contributed to this report
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