Team Rachel. Becca Kufrin, Nick Viall and more Bachelor alums spoke out after Rachel Lindsay deactivated her Instagram account due to harassment.
The former Bachelorette, 35, received backlash from fans after her interview with Chris Harrison on February 9, during which the longtime host, 49, defended season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell following racism allegations. Lindsay’s “Higher Learning” podcast cohost, Van Lathan, reacted on Friday, February 26, after she left Instagram.
“Leave Rachel the f—k alone. This harassment is going too far,” he wrote via Instagram. “My co host has zero today with the words of a grown ass man who still doesn’t get it. @chrisbharrison are you okay with people getting at Rachel to the point she can’t even exist on IG. Is anyone from the entire ‘Bachelor Nation’ going to stand up and condemn this harassment of a Black woman? Yo it’s just a f—king TV SHOW, y’all need to relax for real. I love you RACH. F—k these people.”
Harrison made headlines earlier this month when he asked for “compassion” for Kirkconnell in an Extra sit-down with Lindsay. The 24-year-old graphic designer — who is still in the running for Matt James’ final rose — has since apologized for “offensive and racist” past actions.
The former Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host, for his part, shared a public apology for his statements on February 10. Days later, he revealed that he would “be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special.”
Lindsay noted on Extra after the news that it was “never my intention to see Chris Harrison step aside.” However, she pointed out that it was “important to further and highlight these discussions” by having “uncomfortable conversations so we can understand the underlying issues and implicit racism that exists within our society.”
Us Weekly exclusively revealed on Monday, February 22, that the attorney is considering hosting After the Final Rose in Harrison’s absence. “ABC and Warner Bros. have spoken to Rachel about the possibility of hosting the After the Final Rose special and they would like her to take on the role,” a source told Us. “She is still weighing the options and is pushing for After the Final Rose to include a bigger conversation about race overall in the franchise. No final decision has been made yet.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see reactions to the treatment Lindsay has received on social media.
