Thanks to the cancel culture vultures ripping him to shreds, Bachelor host Chris Harrison announced Saturday he is “stepping aside” from the show “for a period of time.” “This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions,” the host and producer said in a […]
Thanks to the cancel culture vultures ripping him to shreds, Bachelor host Chris Harrison announced Saturday he is “stepping aside” from the show “for a period of time.”
“This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions,” the host and producer said in a Saturday Instagram post.
“To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special.”
So, what happened? Let’s unpack.
This year marks the 25th season of the reality dating show, and the first one with a black bachelor, Matt James.
Controversy arose when one of the show’s frontrunning contestants, Rachael Kirkconnell, was reportedly photographed at an antebellum plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018.
In an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, Harrison spoke out on Kirkconnell’s behalf,
“I haven’t talked to Rachael about it, and this is where we need to have a little grace...because I have seen some stuff online—this judge, jury, executioner thing—where they’re just tearing this girl’s life apart and diving into her parents and her parents’ voting record,” he said.
“It’s unbelievably alarming to watch this. I haven’t heard Rachael speak on this yet, and 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.”
In come the savages to cancel Harrison and save the day.
Because she had not yet spoken out on the scandal, Harrison was simply giving her the chance to do so. But today, that’s enough to get you cancelled.
Harrison wrote that he was “deeply remorseful” for the pain and damage his “ignorance” had brought to his “friends, colleagues and strangers alike.”
“To the Black community, to the BIPOC community: I am so sorry. My words were harmful. I am listening, and I truly apologize for my ignorance and any pain it caused you,” he added.
“I am dedicated to getting educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before,” he wrote. “I want to ensure our cast and crew members, to my friends, colleagues and our fans: this is not just a moment, but a commitment to much greater understanding that I will actively make every day.”
In the interview with Lindsay, Harrison tried to make it clear he wasn’t defending Rachael.
“That was not the case in 2018. And again, I’m not defending Rachael. I just know that, I don’t know, 50 million people did that in 2018. That was a type of party that a lot of people went to. And again, I’m not defending it. I didn’t go to it.”
But, it wasn’t enough.
Chris Harrison: the year’s newest martyr.
