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| Topic | Chris Harrison taking leave from The Bachelor after defending racist contestant |
| Lebronwon 02/13/21 5:21:36 PM #1: | https://people.com/tv/bachelor-host-chris-harrison-stepping-aside-for-period-of-time-amid-racism-controversy/ The Bachelor's Chris Harrison said he will be taking a break from the franchise as he apologized for a second time for perpetuating racism within the franchise. "I have spent the last few days listening to the pain my words have caused, and I am deeply remorseful. My ignorance did damage to my friends, colleagues and strangers alike. I have no one to blame but myself for what I said and the way I spoke," he wrote in a lengthy statement shared on Instagram Saturday. "I set standards for myself, and have to meet them. I feel that with every fiber of my being. Now just as I taught my children to stand up, and to own their actions, I will do the same," Harrison, 49, added. "By excusing historical racism, I defended it. I invoked the term 'woke police,' which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong." "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 want to give my heartfelt thanks to the people from these communities who I've had enlightening conversations with over the past few days, and I am so grateful to those who have reached out to help me on my path to anti-racism." In an effort not to overshadow the current season of The Bachelor, Harrison has said that he "will be stepping aside for a period of time" and will not appear in the After the Final Rose special. "The historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions. 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," he continued. The controversy began when Rachel Kirkconnell, a contestant on Matt James' currently airing season of The Bachelor, was called out for old social media posts which saw her dressed in Native American attire as a costume and attending an antebellum plantation-themed ball. She has since apologized. Harrison addressed the situation on Tuesday during an Extra interview with Rachel Lindsay who became the first Black Bachelorette in 2017 saying that people should have "a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion" for Kirkconnell. After his comments prompted a backlash among fans even resulting in a petition calling for him to be removed from the franchise Harrison released a statement the next day, apologizing for "wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism." --- Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7 ... Copied to Clipboard! |
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