This Is How Rachel Lindsay Really Feels About Chris Harrison's Apology
When Chris Harrison originally apologized for "wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism" on Feb. 11, 2021, following his interview-gone-wrong with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, Rachel was not impressed. "I'm having a really, really hard time reasoning or really taking in and accepting this apology and I'll tell you why," she said on her Higher Learning podcast on Feb. 12, 2021. "When I finished that interview with Chris Harrison, he had no problems with it. He was fine. He texted me after. He appreciated the conversation. He was like, 'Yeah, I'll probably get a little flack.' He thought it was great that we could disagree but do it in a civil way."
The longtime Bachelor host's apology came after he faced extreme backlash for supporting Bachelor Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after photos of her attending an antebellum plantation-themed party thrown by Georgia College & State University's Kappa Alpha Order in 2018 were discovered online (via The Sun). Harrison told Rachel in the Extra interview that Matt James' contestant needed to be given "a little grace" and a chance to speak for herself.
Harrison has since apologized a second time and even announced that he would be "stepping aside" from his Bachelor obligations for a bit so his actions do not "overshadow" the 25th season of the show. Following the news, Rachel was asked for her opinion on the announcement and she seemed to have a change of heart. Keep reading to find out how Rachel really feels about Chris Harrison's apology.
Rachel Lindsay believes Chris Harrison will 'grow' from the experience
In a Feb. 16, 2021, interview with E! News, Rachel Lindsay seemed to be more at peace with Chris Harrison's apologies for his support of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. "I think that he has apologized at this point, so I don't really want to go into it too much because he's apologized not once, not twice and he seems to be taking the steps that are necessary to really learn from this whole experience," she said. "I'm just happy for the level of awareness and to sit and see what happens next." She noted that admitting his ignorance shows her that he is "willing to grow from it."
Rachel also mentioned that she was originally shocked Harrison wanted to talk about the Rachael drama in the first place. "Chris is somebody who has been the face of the franchise for so many years," the former Bachelorette said. "You usually get the PC answer from him, so I was a little shocked that he wanted to talk a little bit more on the subject."
Harrison agreed in an October 2020 interview with Insider that Bachelor Nation needs to be more diverse. "You want to see your love represented on screen and to not do that is a failure," he said. "And that's something we aim to be better at and do better at." As of this writing, no official announcements have been made about Harrison's future with the show, but many fans have called for Rachel to replace him as host.