‘The Bachelor’: Here’s How Mike Johnson and Previous Contestants Reacted to Resurfaced Taylor Nolan Tweets
Taylor Nolan is someone from Bachelor Nation who has often been a leader in speaking out against racism when it comes to The Bachelor. This is why fans were so shocked when the therapist who was on Nick Viall‘s season had racist, homophobic, antisemitic, and fatphobic tweets as recent as 2013 resurface on Feb. 28. Nolan’s tweets that came to light brought about fan discussion regarding the contrast of the tweets’ content with the active anti-racist work Nolan does online. However, former contestants and vocal Bachelor Nation fans still called out Nolan’s words from the past. Here’s what they had to say.
Mike Johnson, Danielle Maltby, and Arie Luyendyk Jr. reacted
In her old tweets that resurfaced on Reddit, Nolan used slurs and expressed opinions against Black, Asian, Jewish, LGBTQ, Indian, disabled, and fat people. Some tweets included her opinions about her therapy clients as well.
Following the tweets resurfacing, some previous contestants from the bachelor franchise denounced the tweets’ messages. Mike Johnson, who went far on Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette, called out Nolan’s words in a video on his Instagram story.
“Taylor is wrong,” he said.
Then, Danielle Maltby, who appeared on The Bachelor with Nolan, replied to the situation on her Instagram story.
“It just keeps getting sicker… my heart is broken for all the people and communities hurt by these tweets and even more the trust that has been broken.”
Former lead of The Bachelor, Arie Luyendyk Jr., said he had “no words” for Nolan’s tweets in response to a series of screenshots of her tweets.
Olivia Caridi and others spoke out against Taylor Nolan’s tweets
One of the first people to speak out was Olivia Caridi, who was on Ben Higgins’ season of The Bachelor and is a friend of Nolan’s.
“I’m in shock,” Caridi said on Twitter. “Taylor is a friend, but regardless, must be held accountable. Accountability applies to friends and family, too. To see such racist and hateful language toward communities that I love and value is unacceptable.”
She continued: “Accountability applies to all — and I need her to denounce this language and fast.”
Another former contestant, Onyeka Ehie, also used her platform to disapprove of Nolan’s tweets.
“There is no double standard in my eyes and [Nolan] should be held accountable for her actions,” she said on the social media platform. “I’m sorry to everyone that felt hurt by her words.”
Likewise, Tammy Kay Ly, who fans know from Peter Weber’s season, vocalized her opinion as well.
“I don’t get offended by much,” she said. “Those tweets are hurtful to numerous groups of people. Including harmful, racist remarks I’ve heard my entire life. I’m sorry but there absolutely needs to be accountability taken here.”
Reality Steve had something to say about Taylor Nolan’s tweets, too
Reality Steve, the blogger known for spoiling the series, also addressed Nolan’s tweets on his own account.
“I absolutely denounce Taylor’s tweets from the past,” he said. “Like most people, never knew about them until today. That isn’t the Taylor I have known. With that said, there is zero place for that type of xenophobia, fat shaming, homophobia, misogyny. Sick to my stomach reading those.”
Taylor Nolan apologized on Instagram for her old tweets
After the criticism, Nolan took to her Instagram account on Feb. 28 to apologize and condemn her previous words. She first apologized to her fellow BIPOC community and expressed that she experienced internalized racism. Nolan is biracial. She also claimed that the tweets “were not surfaced in good faith” and “were in direct opposition to the work” she does.
“Please know that I stand with you in fighting against people who currently hold those harmful perspectives like in my old tweets,” she wrote. “I have acknowledged these harmful perspectives, discussed where I have for example perpetuated fat phobia in the past, and it will always be an ongoing daily work because these things are embedded in our culture.”
Nolan posted an Instagram story expressing that she will record a podcast episode to speak about the situation in further depth.
