Chris Harrison Stepping Down From The Bachelor : The Controversy, Explained

The Bachelor franchise is synonymous with the name Chris Harrison, who’s hosted both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette since their premieres in 2002 and 2003, respectively, plus the spin-off Bachelor in Paradise. But Harrison recently announced he’s “stepping back” from the program. Here’s what’s going on: 

First, some context.

If you’re not an avid Bachelor watcher, you might not know that the current franchise lead, Matt James, is the first Black Bachelor in the show’s history. ABC announced this news in summer 2020 as Black Lives Matters protests erupted all over the country and the show came under fire for its lack of diversity. Because of James’s unique position, people were especially attuned to possible racial biases among the contestants.

Which leads us to Rachael Kirkconnell…

Rachael K., one of the women vying for James’s heart, attended an “Old South” party with her sorority when she was in college. Fans were quick to point out this was, at the least, an error in judgment on Kirkconnell’s part. Participating in an event like that is insensitive and, to many, offensive.

Harrison’s response to the story 

As backlash grew, Harrison went on Extra to address the story, appearing (virtually) with Rachel Lindsay, who broke barriers on the show as the first Black Bachelorette in 2017. “These girls got dressed up and went to a party and had a great time; they were 18 years old. Now, does that make it okay? I don’t know, Rachel, you tell me,” Harrison said. “Were we all looking through [that lens] in 2018?”

Harrison added, “This judge, jury, executioner thing where people are just tearing this girl’s life apart and diving into her parents, her parents’ voting record…. Until I actually hear this woman have a chance to speak, who am I to say any of this? I saw a picture of her at a sorority party five years ago, and that’s it.” 

The women of The Bachelor had Rachel Lindsay’s back.

In a statement posted to their Instagram pages, many of the current contestants on The Bachelor voiced their support for Rachel Lindsay, whom they felt Harrison talked over in the Extra segment, and collectively denounced racism and any defense of it. Lindsay responded, saying the message “[meant] everything” to her.

Kirkconnell and Harrison both apologized.

Pretty much immediately after, both main players in this story posted apologies online. Kirkconnell took responsibility for her mistake and promised to earn forgiveness through future actions, not just by saying sorry now. She also reposted the statement in support of Lindsay. 

Harrison wrote in his own statement, “What…I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry. I also apologize to my friend Rachel Lindsay for not listening to her better on a topic she has firsthand understanding of.”

Harrison announced he’s stepping back from the franchise.

It’s unclear for how long, but we know for sure Harrison won’t be hosting this year’s “After the Final Rose” special. 

Rachel Lindsay called Chris Harrison’s leave of absence the right move.

“Like he said, he needs to take time to get educated and on a profound and productive level to use his word,” she told Extra, per People. “And I think he needs to understand what was done, what was wrong, and what he said in that interview, and he needs time. He’s stepped away to do that.”

She continued, “I think [the interview] was a moment for people to recognize what was being said and to learn and grow from it, which is what we’re seeing happen now with Chris.” 

Tayshia Adams agreed this is a good step for Harrison.

On the February 18 episode of the Click Bait With Bachelor Nation podcast, Adams, the second Black female lead in franchise history, praised Harrison’s decision and his words.

“I think after reading his apology…it hit my heart a little bit more to know he actually meant what he was saying,” she said, per People. “He said, ‘By excusing historical racism, I defended it,’ which is the absolute truth, and the fact that he called that out and owned up to that and he acknowledges that means a lot to me…. Also the fact that he said, ‘This is not just a moment but a commitment to much greater understanding that I will actively make each day,’ also meant a lot to me, because it isn’t just a moment, just like how Blacks Lives Matter isn’t just a trending topic on Instagram.”

She continued, “I think that by him taking ownership, and just not just saying issue an apology and then just going back to work the next day like nothing happened speaks volumes on his behalf.”

Matt James has commented on the situation.

Read his statement in full, below.

Previous Bachelor stars commended James for speaking out. “Yes Matt Yes,” Rachel Lindsay wrote on Instagram, with three clapping emojis. Kaitlyn Bristowe added clapping and heart emojis, and Andi Dorfman wrote, “Always have and always will be proud of the kind, strong, compassionate stand up of a man you are,” per People.

Lindsay criticizes Kirkconnell’s anti-racism Instagram post. 

Per Us Weekly, Kirkconnell uploaded a photo of the book Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man next to her “mid-day matcha” to her Instagram Stories—and Lindsay described the post by saying, “Vapid is the word that comes to mind.” Lindsay shared her thoughts about the photo during an episode of her podcast, Bachelor Happy Hour. 

“You almost feel like you know everything you need to know about her in that picture. The fact that that’s what she decided to do,” she said. “Several people sent me that story. Her apology was well-written, it was pretty, and it was sincere. I’m not going to knock anyone’s apology. But then the next step is to take action.”

Lindsay continued, “Taking action to me isn’t showing everybody that you’re reading the book. You have such a big platform. There’s a lot of people who don’t necessarily understand what Chris said in the interview or why people are so upset, so this is an opportunity for you to explain that.”

Kirkconnell asks people defending her to “please stop.” 

“If you are in my comments or defending me anywhere telling people that I did nothing wrong, that there’s nothing to be hurt about, there’s nothing to be angry about or offended about, please stop,” she said on IG,  according to People. “That’s not our place to tell people what they can and can’t be offended about. That’s wrong and that’s part of the problem.”

Lindsay reportedly deactivated her Instagram account over harassment from Bachelor fans. 

“Rachel Lindsay disabled her Instagram earlier today,” her Higher Learning podcast cohost Van Lathan shared in an Instagram video on February 26. “She did it because that’s how much hate she’s getting from Bachelor fans who are spamming her with all kinds of rude and hateful things to say.” 

“Rachel is not responsible for Chris Harrison, a 49-year-old man who can’t read the room in these 2021 times. She’s not responsible for that,” Lathan continued. “It’s not her job to make excuses or provide cover for somebody who doesn’t understand what the fuck triggers people in today’s world. It’s not. You’re going after the wrong person.”

The Bachelor: “After the Final Rose” special host has been revealed. 

Emmanuel Acho, former NFL player, author and host of the Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man book and video series, has been tapped to host The Bachelor finale live show. 

“IT’S OFFICIAL: I’ve accepted the Rose and am honored to be hosting the @bachelorabc After the Final Rose this year,” he wrote on Instagram on February 27. “It’s been a pivotal season, and this episode will hopefully be one of the most storied shows in TV history. Empathy is needed and change is coming. Share the news! I’ll see y’all then! 🌹 ❤️”

The Bachelor executive producers comment on the controversy. 

They’re standing with Rachel Lindsay. 

Lindsay says The Bachelor “should just stop” filming until they “fix” their issues.

James’s season is nearing an end, which means it’s almost time to begin shooting other shows in the franchise. But Lindsay thinks ABC should pause filming until the controversy is resolved.

“I think that they should just stop until…they get the train back on the tracks,” she said in an episode of her podcast, Higher Learning. “You’re going to go into another season, but you still have all these issues. How have you fixed them coming into a new season? You really haven’t. So I think that they need to take a beat, figure things out, regroup and then bring the product back to us [in] a way that we can all enjoy it the way that we used to.”

Harrison reportedly wasn’t quarantining with the new cast.

As the new season of The Bachelorette began preproduction, cast and crew arrived at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa to quarantine and create their “bubble,” but Harrison was reportedly not among them. 

Harrison will not be hosting The Bachelorette.

On March 12, ABC announced that Harrison will not serve as the host of the next season of The Bachelorette. Instead, Bachelor Nation alums Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will “support the new Bachelorette.”

“Chris Harrison will not be hosting the next season of The Bachelorette. We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing,” the statement read. “As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within The Bachelor franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks. These are important steps in effecting fundamental change so that our franchise is a celebration of love that is reflective of our world.”

Fans are upset after Harrison’s voiceover was included in “After the Final Rose.”

If you watched the Bachelor finale and post-show, “After the Final Rose,” there’s a good chance you missed one small albeit controversial detail. Harrison previously announced that he’s “stepping aside” from the franchise after receiving backlash for making comments defending Kirkconnell’s racist actions. However, fans pointed out on Twitter that his voiceover was still used during the special.

“Unpack Matt’s traumatic journey to find love and dive into all the controversy,” Harrison could be heard saying. “Plus, a shocking reveal that changes everything. It’s all happening tonight on the stunning season finale of The Bachelor.” He added, “Emmanuel Acho dives into the shocking conclusion to Matt’s journey.”

One fan tweeted, “They couldn’t do anything about Chris Harrison’s voiceover while introducing Emmanuel Acho? Come on. #TheBachelor.”

Another added, “Wait why is Chris Harrison doing the voiceover for Emmanuel? Doesn’t that defeat the point of this whole thing? #bachelorabc.”

This post will be updated as the situation evolves.

Originally Appeared on Glamour