The Behind-The-Scenes Story Of Bachelor Nation's Racial Reckoning
It all began when longtime franchise host Chris Harrison gave a master class in how not to conduct yourself in an interview with Extra host and former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay.
At one point, in reference to photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at an "Old South" Kappa Alpha Order party, he asked: "Would this girl, at, I don’t know how old she would have been back then, have thought, 'You know, historically, this mansion stood for this. Guys it’s not really that woke that we’re here.'"
His comments, which he later admitted were "harmful" and "unacceptable," sparked outrage and action from fans and current cast members. A petition calling for Chris' removal quickly gained over 40,000 signatures, and the cast spoke out against racism in the franchise on podcasts, Instagram, and TV interviews.
Women's Health interviewed six contestants from the most recent Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons to find out the story behind their statements and how they hope the franchise will improve how it handles racial issues moving forward:
Chris Harrison's interview was a huge catalyst for Bachelor Nation.
Watching Chris go head-to-head with Rachel on racial issues was difficult for Kristin Hopkins, a contestant on The Bachelor's season 25 with Matt James. "It was incredibly hard for me to watch that interview—I think I stopped it at least five times, she says. "I have had a white man talk to me in that manner about race and I had all those emotions come back up."
She wasn't the only one. "Watching the interview, at first was so sad," Khaylah Epps, fellow season 25 contestant, says. "The sadness came from having to watch Rachel endure that and knowing how much it probably took for her. Thinking about what she really wanted to say, my heart broke for her in that moment. Overall, I was incredibly disappointed. It's hard for me to articulate all of the feelings."
After the backlash to the interview began and fans called on Chris to leave the show, the host released an apology on his Instagram account, but many former contestants saw it as just a starting point.
"To me, it seemed like his true feelings were really shown in that interview with Rachel [Lindsay]," Ivan Hall, a contestant on season 16 with Tayshia Adams, tells Women's Health. "I think it's just going to be a matter of time, honestly, for him to really do some reflection if he wants to put in that work and learn. It's not going to be an overnight thing."
While Demar Jackson, another season 16 cast member, hopes that Chris' statement "came from a genuine place," he still thinks it's "one of those things that everybody has to take with a grain of salt" until the former host's actions live up to his words.
The women of season 25 led the charge to denounce racism.
The words were written by six women of color from season 25, who do not wish to reveal their identities, Chelsea Vaughn, a contestant on that season, revealed. "They felt really inspired and felt it was time to use their voices for change," she says.
"We knew that there's power in numbers so everyone wanted to be involved in that way," Khaylah added. Sharing the statement gave her a sense of ease, she says.
"It was really, really powerful and beautiful moment to be a part of," Chelsea adds. "I felt so amazing because I didn't know for sure how it was going to be received."
After seeing the statement from the season 25 cast, the men of season 16 were inspired to share their own thoughts. "We loved seeing that unity from all of [the women of Matt's season] to denounce racism. So, we thought it would be a great idea to show that we support them and that we denounce racism as well," Ivan tells Women's Health. He, Riley Christian, Demar Jackson, and Jordan Chapman began texting amongst themselves about what to write before bringing up the idea to the larger cast.
Once a "majority of the guys" signed off on sharing a statement, Riley took the lead and began figuring out exactly what the cast wanted to say. "Instead of just kind of doing our own thing, we wanted to continue to support what [the women] were already doing," Riley tells Women's Health. "I don't necessarily think that they needed us to, but it's always good to have someone backing you up, especially when they feel as strongly as you do about the situation."
It took a few drafts and some tweaks here and there, but soon enough, the season 16 men had a statement that would not only support the season 25 women, but denounce racism in the Bachelor franchise overall.
However, Demar wants to make his and the cast's intentions behind the statement clear: It's not about "cancelling" people; it's about condemning bigotry in all forms. "We're never trying to attack anybody," he says. "Denouncing racism is the key of what we're trying to do—no matter who you are. We want to make sure that we denounce that, not the actual person themself."
They're still watching season 25 to support Matt James as the first Black Bachelor.
"We don't want to take away from his experience because he did not know that all this was going to happen," Kristin told Women's Health.
Khaylah watches to support Matt and the women who are still on their journey, too. "I would never want a lower rating to influence who's cast as lead next. That doesn't mean I still won't be vocal, but I do want to support these incredible women who are still left and the first season that we do have a Black Bachelor."
Chelsea says she was conflicted, but ultimately chose to continue watching to see her story and stories of friends she made on set play out. "As far as after this season goes, I don't know if I'll continue watching unless there are some serious changes."
Ivan, Riley, and Demar all are continuing to watch this season, too. "I think the best way to support having more BIPOC contestants and leads later on is by supporting Matt as the first Black Bachelor and the other BIPOC cast members on our screens now, instead of just boycotting the show," Ivan says. "I'd more so like this to be an opportunity for contestants and the network to grow together and just make the best possible product for the fans going forward."
Now, the cast is calling for big changes on The Bachelor.
The cast hopes their statements will act as a call to action, sparking changes that go far beyond relieving Chris of his duties.
"Going forward, we definitely want to see casts with people of color included, having a lead who's open to dating all types of races, seeing all of the experiences of people of color and seeing them in a different light," Kristin says. "I think it starts at the top so that means making sure that the people in the room are of color, who are making the big decisions. If you don't know how a person of color feels coming on the show, you're not going to be able to accurately portray that on screen."
Khaylah agrees that considering the lead's dating history and true preferences and openness to other individuals would be phenomenal. "To not have to question your desirability as a contestant is how it should be." She adds that hiring more producers of color who work with the cast day-to-day is "incredibly important."
"It's nice to have someone on the other side in the interview room who understands what you're saying and you never have to explain," she says. "You want to be your most authentic self for yourself and to show the world as well."
Demar agrees, noting more diverse producers behind the scenes will likely lead to more BIPIC contestants and eventually leads. "I want to make sure that everybody's being heard... It doesn't matter what race you are, just as long as you are represented," he says.
For Ivan, a better, more equitable future for the franchise can only begin after they've learned from past mistakes. He hopes former and current casts can work with the network behind the scenes to talk about "the systemic racism issues they've had" and "hopefully try to get some changes made."
Similarly, Riley would like to see a sort of roundtable discussion where past and present contestants could "discuss some of these issues [they've experienced] behind the scenes" with producers and the network.
But he adds that real, lasting change means more than just having a seat at the table: "It's also important to have more people of color in positions of power. It's one thing to be able to give your input; it's another thing entirely to be able to have a vote on the final product."
Note: Women's Health reached out to additional season 25 and season 16 contestants for comment and did not receive a response.
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