Former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay has broken her silence on her interview with “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison, in which he defended current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell for her past racist behavior.
Kirkconnell has faced backlash online after photographs surfaced online of her at an antebellum plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018. During an interview with Lindsay for “Extra,” Harrison defended Kirkconnell’s actions — and has been slammed for being a racist apologist.
Lindsay, who made history as the first Black Bachelorette, said y that she believes it was the “right decision” for Harrison to step away from the show.
“Like he said, he needs to take time to get educated and on a profound and productive level to use his word,” she said. “And I think he needs to understand what was done, what was wrong, and what he said in that interview, and he needs time. He’s stepped away to do that.”
Speaking to Billy Bush, Lindsay rejected Harrison’s apology, saying it came too late:
“I’m going to need that time and space and compassion that he referenced to really accept the apology, because [Chris wasn’t] apologetic at first,” she said. “I’m not saying I can’t get there, it’s just, initially, it’s a little tough for me.” She added: “There’s implicit racism where you have these unconscious biases and stereotypes and misconceptions of certain groups, and that’s what we were seeing in that interview, and I think it was a moment for people to recognize what was being said and to learn and grow from it, which is what we’re seeing happen now with Chris.”
