Matt James, ABC’s first black romantic lead The Bachelor, spoke out against the controversies surrounding host Chris Harrison and contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. On Monday, James posted a statement on Instagram condemning the actions of both Harrison and Kirkconnell.
“The reality is, I learn about these situations in real time, and it was devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly,” he wrote. “Chris’s failure to receive and understand the emotional work my friend Rachel Lindsay took on in gracefully and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand well was disturbing. and painful to watch. “
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James continues: “As black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much bigger problem that the Bachelor franchise failed to address for years. “
Earlier this month, Kirkconnell faced backlash after photos surfaced again showing the 24-year-old attending a pre-war plantation-themed fraternity in 2018. The contestant apologized for the old photos, noting that she was ignorant and that her “ignorance was racist.”
Kirkconnell’s photos became the subject of an interview between Harrison and contestant Lindsay. In the Additional interview, Harrison defended the season’s front runner, noting that the photos were taken a long time ago and suggesting that Kirkconnell had become a target of the cancel culture. After the interview and social media response, Harrison stepped aside as host and will not appear in the recap episode of the series.
With racism and racial issues in the spotlight of the Bachelor Nation, James said the controversies have prompted him to “re-evaluate and process what my experience on The Bachelor represents” for participants of color, especially black participants.
“I will continue to process this experience, and you will hear more from me eventually,” he wrote. “My biggest prayer is that this is a tipping point resulting in real and institutional change for the better.”
See James’s full statement below.