Rachel Lindsay and More Bachelor Stars Commend Matt James for Addressing Show's Racism Controversy

Rachel Lindsay Says It Was the 'Right Decision' for Chris Harrison to Step Aside as Bachelor Host

Chris Harrison said over the weekend that he is taking time away from the franchise following an interview with Rachel Lindsay last week

Bachelor stars are supporting Matt James after he broke his silence on host Chris Harrison's decision to step aside from the franchise.

In a statement posted on Instagram Monday, James addressed Harrison's interview earlier this month with Rachel Lindsay, the franchise's first Black lead, in which Harrison failed to denounce current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's past racist actions. James called the interview "troubling and painful to watch" and condemned Kirkconnell's "incredibly disappointing" behavior.

Lindsay, 35, showed her support for James on social media, commenting "Yes Matt Yes" on his post, adding three clapping hands emojis.

Michael Kovac/Getty Images; Craig Barritt/Getty Images

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Former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe also commented a series of hearts, while Bachelor in Paradise's Taylor Nolan and The Bachelorette's Olivia Caridi both added a string of clapping hands emojis.

"Always have and always will be proud of the kind, strong, compassionate stand up of a man you are," wrote Andi Dorfman, who knows James from their time living in New York City.

Former Bachelor Nick Viall also showed his support by "liking" the post.

Matt James/Instagram

RELATED: Matt James Breaks Silence on Bachelor Controversy, Calls Chris Harrison's Interview 'Troubling'

The recent controversy arose when Kirkconnell, a 24-year-old frontrunner on James' season of The Bachelor, was called out for old social media posts which saw her dressed in Native American attire in costume and attending an antebellum plantation-themed college party in 2018. She has since apologized.

Harrison, 49, addressed the situation during an interview with Lindsay on Extra. During their 14-minute, unedited conversation, he said people should have "a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion" in the wake of the resurfaced photos and questioned the "lens" of 2021 compared to 2018. After receiving backlash for his comments, Harrison issued two separate apologies and announced that he would be stepping away from the franchise for an unspecified period of time.

In his statement, James, the franchise's first Black Bachelor, said that the situation — including the photos of Kirkconnell and the interview between Lindsay and Harrison — has been "devastating and heartbreaking, to put it bluntly."

getty images (3) Chris Harrison, Matt James, Rachael Kirkconnell

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"Chris' failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch," he continued. "As Black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that The Bachelor franchise has fallen short on addressing adequately for years."

James said the moment had pushed him "to reevaluate and process what my experience on The Bachelor represents, not just for me, but for all of the contestants of color, especially the Black contestants of this season and seasons past, and for you, the viewers at home."

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Lindsay, whose public criticism of Harrison after their interview prompted the recent developments, has said that it was the "right decision" for him to step aside.

"Like he said, he needs to take time to get educated and on a profound and productive level to use his word," she recently said on Extra. "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."