The Bachelor's Nick Viall Says the Vetting Process 'Is Clearly an Issue'
This season, Bachelorette contestants are bringing more baggage than expected to the show.
The Bachelor alum Nick Viall sat down with PEOPLE’s show Chatter to discuss the cases of Lincoln Adim and Garrett Yrigoyen.
“It is clearly an issue,” Viall said about the background checks conducted on contestants. “The Garrett thing, obviously it’s inappropriate, [but] I think it’s harder. I don’t know how that process works.”
“The Lincoln thing, unfortunately, it’s a big mistake, and I think something that they need to really look in to,” he added.
Adim and Yrigoyen are both vying for current Bachelorette Becca Kufrin’s attention.
In May, Yrigoyen got into hot water after it was revealed that he had been ‘liking’ posts on Instagram that mocked the trans community, a Parkland high school shooting survivor, undocumented immigrants and more. Then, Reality Steve broke the news that just days before the season premiere of The Bachelorette, Adim had been convicted of indecent assault and battery. Warner Bros. said in a statement that he lied about the conviction during his background check.
“You can’t have people convicted of sexual assault on the show, or really just anywhere.” Viall told PEOPLE. “Obviously they need to look at their vetting process. It’s a very unfortunate situation.”
Adim was found guilty on May 21, almost two years after he groped and assaulted a woman on a harbor cruise ship on May 30th 2016.
Adim was sentenced to one year in a house of correction, which was suspended for a two-year probation. Press Secretary Jake Wark of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office told PEOPLE, “The judge ordered him to stay away from the victim and attend three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week during those two years.” Wark also said, “By law, he is expected to register as a sex offender.”
Although Yrigoyen has since deleted this Instagram account, screenshots of the posts reveal that he had been liking the controversial material as recently as November 2017.
Some of the posts featured offensive material about young transgender boys and Caitlyn Jenner‘s transition.
Yrigoyen released a statement that apologized for his behavior: “I did not know what to expect once the show aired. I am sorry to those who I offended, and I also take full responsibility for my ‘likes’ on Instagram that were hurtful and offensive.” The California native also wrote, “Let my mistakes be a lesson for those who mindlessly double tap images, memes and videos on any social media content that could be many things including hurtful, degrading, and dehumanizing.”
Kufrin defended her Bachelorette contestant while speaking with Mario Lopez during ON With Mario Lopez. The Bachelorette said, “I just want everyone to watch [The Bachelorette] and to get to know these guys and to get to know me for who we really are and not social media because that’s just a small glimpse into a person and it’s not always reflective of who they are.”
Nick Viall is not the first Bachelor star to condemn the contestants. The Bachelorette’s Connor Obrochta also spoke out against Adim amid his controversy.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.
