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‘The Bachelor’ frontman Matt James has broken his silence over the escalating controversy surrounding the show, as longtime host Chris Harrison remains under fire for perpetuating racism during the show. ‘a recent interview.
James, the first black star of “The Bachelor,” not only calls out Harrison for his “disturbing and painful” words, but also holds the franchise as a whole responsible for its handling of diversity and race over the years. two decades she spent. -air.
“The past few weeks have been some of the most difficult of my life, and while there are several episodes left of the season, it is important that I take the time to address the disturbing information that has come to light since the end of filming, James wrote on his Instagram on Monday, hours before a new episode of “The Bachelor” aired on ABC.
Controversy first erupted earlier this year, when old photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell – a current frontrunner, who is still in the running for James’ season – emerged on social media, showing her in attendance at an aThe ntebellum-themed fraternity was formal in 2018. Kirkconnell was also accused on TikTok of behavior insensitive to racism, including liking photos containing the Confederate flag.
Harrison then went to the entertainment news show, “Extra,” to sit down with former “Bachelorette” and correspondent, Rachel Lindsay, who interviewed Harrison about the controversy surrounding Kirkconnell. During the lengthy discussion with Lindsay, Harrison went to great lengths to seemingly defend Kirkconnell, which resulted in much criticism and led Harrison to apologize for “speaking in a way that perpetuates racism. “.
Shortly thereafter, Harrison announced that he would be retiring from the franchise for an undisclosed period of time, including not appearing on “After the Final Rose,” which will serve as James’ season finale.
In his statement on Monday, James took issue with both Harrison and Kirkconnell’s ‘incredibly disappointing’ photos, in addition to the franchise as a whole, which he said has ‘failed’ when it comes to diversity and race. .
“The reality is that I am learning these situations in real time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly,” James wrote.
“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 unsettling and painful to watch. , ”James continued. As Blacks and their allies immediately knew and understood, this was a clear reflection of a much larger problem that the ‘The Bachelor’ franchise had failed to adequately address for years.
“This moment sparked critical conversations and reporting, raised important questions and sparked inspiring displays of solidarity from The Bachelor nation,” James continued. “It also prompted me to re-evaluate and process what my experience on ‘The Bachelor’ means, not just to me, but to all of the contestants of color, especially the black contestants from this season and past seasons, and for you, the home viewer. “
James concluded his candid statement by writing, “I will continue to process this experience and you will hear more from me at the end. My biggest prayer is that this be an inflection point that results in real and institutional change for the better.
James had previously spoken about Kirkconnell’s photos on social media, but his first comments were made before Harrison’s controversial interview and before more information about Kirkconnell came to light – at the time, the candidate didn’t had not spoken of the authenticity of the photos.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone since the show ended, but I would say you have to be very careful what you do on social media,” James said in early February, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. , when asked about the allegations. “Rumors are dark and nasty and can ruin people’s lives. So I would give people the benefit of the doubt and hope she has time to speak on this.
As James wrote on his social media on Monday, he has discovered new information, with viewers at home, since his season’s filming ended.
Shortly after Harrison’s “Extra” interview with Lindsay, Kirkconnell issued his own apology statement. “While there have been rumors going around, there have also been some truths that have come to light that I need to address. I hear you, and I’m here to say I was wrong, ”Kirkconnell wrote, in part. “At one point I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them… I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.
As the controversy continued to escalate, many contestants for “The Bachelor” banded together to speak out against the franchise’s racial issues, including 25 of James’ Season Women, who had the most diverse cast, nowadays.
“We’re the women of ‘Bachelor’ season 25,” the women said earlier this month. “Twenty-five women identified as BIPOC participated in this historic season which was meant to represent change. We are deeply disappointed and would like to point out that we denounce any defense of racism. Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continuing experiences of the individuals of BIPOC. These experiences should not be exploited or symbolized. “
ABC has not released any statement regarding the controversy at this point. Variety reached out to the network for comment on James’ post.
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