Matt James Supports Rachel Lindsay Following Chris Harrison and Rachael Kirkconnell Controversy

Speaking out. Chris Harrison gave his first interview after temporarily stepping back from The Bachelor franchise amid the controversy surrounding his defense of season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.

Chris Harrison sat down with Michael Strahan of Good Morning America for his first interview since stepping aside as host of The Bachelor, and, in a clip released by ABC News, said that his defense of a contestant was a “mistake.”

Haley Kluge editorSPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the “Women Tell All” March 1 episode of “The Bachelor.”Chris Harrison has been the source of tension throughout the “Bachelor” franchise after his remarks defending Rachael Kirkconnell’s problematic past, and he has since been temporarily relieved of hosting duty (Emmanuel Acho has been tapped to host the post-finale episode), but his presence was still felt during this season’s pre-taped “Women Tell All” special

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentDays after former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay deleted her Instagram account due to online bullying, the producers of “The Bachelor” have released a statement in support of the star.The executive producers of the dating franchise are condemning all racist harassment of Lindsay, who they applaud for using her voice to educate the public.“As executive producers of ‘The Bachelor’ franchise, we would like to make it perfectly clear that any harassment

Matt James‘ season of The Bachelor has seen far more off-screen drama than anything on the actual ABC dating show, and now he’s spoken out about it. The first Black Bachelor posted a thoughtful Instagram post that addressed the racism controversy over his frontrunner  Rachael Kirkconnell attending an antebellum themed frat party in college.

Chris Harrison's hiatus from , other members of Bachelor Nation are speaking out about how they'd feel about returning to the franchise.Harrison recently announced that he'd be taking time off and would not be hosting the upcoming special with Matt James and his final pick. The news came in Harrison's second apology for defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racist actions in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay on Feb.

Coming together. Bachelor Nation is showing their support for Bachelor Matt James after he addressed Chris Harrison‘s controversial interview with Rachel Lindsay and season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell‘s racially charged posts.

Matt James, current star of "The Bachelor," has spoken out amid the show's ongoing scandal.  The program attracted negative attention after photos resurfaced of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell previously attending an "Old South" themed party at a plantation in 2018. Then longtime host Chris Harrison conducted an interview with former "Bachelorette" star Rachel Lindsay, who made history as the first Black Bachelorette, in which he ended up defending Kirkonnell in the interview.

Matt James, the first ever Black romantic lead for ABC’s The Bachelor, spoke out against the controversies surrounding host Chris Harrison and contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. On Monday, James posted a statement on Instagram in which he condemns both Harrison and Kirkconnell’s actions.

Rachel Lindsay isn't sure if she'd host. The franchise's future has been called into question after Chris Harrison announced that he'd be taking time off and would not be hosting the upcoming special with Matt James and his final pick.The news came in Harrison's second apology for defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racist actions in an interview with Lindsay on Feb.

Showing solidarity. Matt James addressed the controversy surrounding Chris Harrison’s Bachelor stepdown following his comments about season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell and allegations of racism.

Matt James, the first Black star of The Bachelor, is speaking out in a new statement about his experience on the show and the controversy surrounding contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.

Matt James has more to say about the recent controversies involving host Chris Harrison and contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. The Bachelor issued a lengthy statement on Instagram on Monday, addressing the «troubling» information that has surfaced in recent weeks, and promising fans that they'll «hear more» from him on the topic. In his second apology for defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racist actions, Harrison announced on Feb.

The most recent "Bachelorette" lead, Tayshia Adams, reacted to Chris Harrison's announcement that he is stepping back from hosting "The Bachelor" franchise "for a period of time" after his controversial interview with Extra in February.  On Thursday's episode of Click Bait with Bachelor Nation, Adams, who is biracial and identifies as Black and Mexican, said Harrison's move is "a really good thing." This month, Harrison, 49, was criticized for defending current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's

Trista Sutter weighed in on Chris Harrison’s recent step back as The Bachelor’s host following his controversial statements during an interview with Rachel Lindsay earlier this month.

Making a change. Procter & Gamble Co. is reconsidering using Chris Harrison in future Crest advertising following his controversial statements that led to him taking a break from The Bachelor.

Rachel Lindsay is speaking out after her interview with "Bachelor" host Chris Harrison that led to him stepping away from the franchise.  Lindsay, who made history as the first Black Bachelorette, interviewed Harrison and asked about contestant Rachel Kirkonnell’s past racist behavior that included attending an "Old South" themed party at a plantation in 2018.

Just days after Chris Harrison announced he was “stepping aside” from The Bachelor franchise, former contestant Rachel Lindsay revealed she hopes the host will “educate himself” moving forward. The reality TV star sat down for an exclusive interview with HollywoodLife on February 15, and opened up about her reaction to his multiple apologies.

is taking a break from the Bachelor franchise following his controversial interview with former Bachelorette“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 friends, colleagues and strangers alike.