Rachel Lindsay Says ‘The Bachelor’ Producers Still Believe ‘Bachelorettes Are Supposed to Be Seen and Not Heard’
Rachel Lindsay once had a great relationship with The Bachelorette franchise. She landed the lead spot on The Bachelorette after finding favor with Bachelor Nation during Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor. However, things took a drastic turn when Lindsay, who hosted Extra, interviewed Chris Harrison. She questioned the longtime host about some divisive remarks he made.
In the aftermath, Lindsay receives a lot of criticism. However, the former lawyer has consistently advocated for more diversity within The Bachelor franchise. She also doesn’t like that the show’s producers still “believe bachelorettes are supposed to be seen and not heard from.” Here’s what we know about Lindsay’s remarks.
Chris Harrison’s ‘Extra’ interview did not end well
As The Bachelor‘s host, Harrison worked with many stars and contestants over the years. He and Lindsay had a solid working relationship, but things got tricky when she interviewed him for Extra. Early last year, allegations of Rachel Kirkconnell’s racist past surfaced and she received accusations of racial insensitivity.
A viewer posted photos of Kirkconnell in an “antebellum plantation-themed ball” on Reddit. A TikTok user also accused the star of making fun of them and others for liking Black men. The situation got worse, especially since Kirkconnell had already received a rose from Matt James. Many called her hypocritical for dating James, a Black man, given her past actions.
Shortly after this controversy, Lindsay and Harrison sat down for an Extra interview. From the onset, the host seemed to defend Kirkconnell’s actions. Harrison asked viewers and Lindsay to have “a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” for The Bachelor star. He maintained he wouldn’t give his opinion until he heard from Kirkconnell.
Lindsay pointed out that it had been six weeks of radio silence on Kirkconnell’s end and that The Bachelor fans were growing increasingly frustrated. It was then that Harrison went on the defense, asking, “Who the hell are you. Who are you that you demand this?”
He insisted that many people also made similar racially insensitive mistakes in the past. Despite his effort to take the blame off of Kirkconnell, the damage was done. Days later, ABC announced that he was stepping down from his decades-long role as host.
Rachel Lindsay says ‘The Bachelor’ producers want bachelorettes to ‘be seen and not heard from’
After the Extra interview, the tide changed for Lindsay, who received death threats and a lot of hate online. The 36-year-old’s stance on diversity and accountability seemed to have rubbed some people the wrong way. Lindsay chose to distance herself from The Bachelor franchise in the wake of her experience.
In an interview with Danny Pellegrino on his Everything Iconic podcast, the former bachelorette revealed that the show’s producers believe “bachelorettes are supposed to be seen and not heard from.” Lindsay told the host that she got a lot of hate and called the Bachelor fandom “toxic and troubling.” She also surmised that the show regretted casting her.
Lindsay acknowledged her privilege as a bachelorette. She said, “I was more in a position of power than a contestant had. With the lead, I had some leverage. So, I wanted to use that for other people to get their stories told.”
Rachel Lindsay cut ties with the ABC franchise
Lindsay told Pellegrino that she understood that she has “always been very polarizing” and is already used to receiving hate. She explained that “with the Chris Harrison situation, the aftermath, it was beyond Bachelor Nation. My name became affiliated with cancel culture — so that became too much.”
Lindsay announced her departure from the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast in its 99th episode. However, she didn’t rule out the possibility of returning as a guest. Since then, she’s dedicated her time to co-hosting the Higher Learning podcast and serving as a correspondent for Extra.
