Chris Harrison has come out and revealed that he regrets his comments concerning Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.
‘The Bachelor’ Spoilers: Chris Harrison Regrets His Comments On Rachael Kirkconnell
In a statement issued to his fans on Instagram, he apologized for how he acted: “To my Bachelor Nation family — I will always own a mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology. I have this incredible platform to speak about love, and yesterday, I took a stance on topics about which I should have been better informed. While I do not speak for Rachael Kirkconnell, my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf.”
So what were Chris’ comments? Well, in an interview with Extra, Chris claimed that there was an overreaction to Rachael’s social media activity which included accusations of racism.“We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion. Because I have seen some stuff online — this judge, jury, executioner thing where people are just tearing this girl’s life apart and diving into, like, her parents, her parents’ voting record.
“I haven’t heard Rachael speak on this yet. 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.” Nevertheless, Chris later acknowledged that he might have made things worse: “What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry.
“I also apologize to my friend Rachael Lindsay for not listening to her better on a topic she has first-hand understanding of, and humbly thank the members of Bachelor Nation who have reached out to me to hold me accountable. I promise to do better.”
He rejected claims that he was defending Rachael but felt, in today’s PC world, she was being treated differently. When asked about Rachael’s incriminating pictures on social media, he said: “My guess? They got dressed up and went to a party and had a great time; they were 18 years old. Now, does that make it OK? I don’t know Rachael, you tell me. Were we all looking through [that lens] in 2018?”
We will have to see if there are any further repercussions. If you enjoyed reading this article, then make sure you check out our other features on the Daily Soap Dish. Please also visit TVRocker for all of the latest exciting news on all of your favourite daytime television soaps