Chris Harrison's Future With The Bachelor Has Been Settled
The end of an era. Longtime "Bachelor" host Chris Harrison is reportedly leaving the franchise for good following his racism controversy. According to Deadline, the TV personality, who has been hosting the show since 2002, "will receive a rose of his own in the form of mid-range eight-figure payoff and promise to keep his mouth shut," the outlet wrote on June 8, adding, "there is certainly no romance in the air behind the scenes."
According to Deadline, "Harrison's reps have been in increasingly intense negotiations over the past few days" and they apparently reach a "confidential settlement" on the eve of the premiere of Season 17 of "The Bachelorette," which is being hosted by "Bachelorette" alums Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe. The agreement follows a "flurry of back and forth between the parties" after Harrison's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, threatened to "unleash the Shiva of lawsuits exposing a swath of 'The Bachelor”s alleged dirty laundry," per the outlet. Keep scrolling for more details about Chris Harrison's departure from "The Bachelor" franchise.
Chris Harrison didn't leave on the best of terms
The news of Chris Harrison's reportedly big payout and exit from "The Bachelor" comes after his hiatus from the franchise, where he's been replaced by a bevy of guest hosts, including creator Mike Fleiss' good pal David Spade, who will be seen on the next season of "Bachelor in Paradise," per Deadline.
Harrison has been estranged from ABC following his controversial remarks in a February 2021 interview with "Bachelorette" alum Rachel Lindsay, who's been working at "Extra" as a correspondent. While speaking with Lindsay, Harrison defended Rachael Kirkconnell, who won Matt James' heart last season on "The Bachelor," after photos of her attending an Old-South-themed party surfaced raising many issues concerning racial insensitivity.
"The woke police is out there. And this poor girl Rachael, who has just been thrown to the lions, I don't know how you are equipped when you have never done this before, to be woke enough, to be eloquent enough, to be ready to handle this," he said at the time, per Just Jared. He later followed his remarks with an Instagram apology, writing, "I took a stance on topics about which I should have been better informed," adding, "I promise to do better."
Despite his vow to learn, the franchise announced that Harrison would not be returning as host for the following season in March, stating they are making "fundamental" changes via Instagram. There is no telling what is next for Chris Harrison.