Chris Harrison may not be returning to host the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, but “from the sounds of things, the door is not closed on Chris,” a source close to production EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. “There’s a very good chance that he will be back” on The Bachelor franchise, which is “at least the impression he and others affiliated with the show have been given,” our insider adds.
The 49-year-old host faced major backlash after defending 24-year-old contestant Rachael Kirkconnell amid her racism scandal in a February interview. Following widespread criticism, on March 12, it was announced that Chris would not be taking over hosting duties of Season 17 of The Bachelorette.
“Chris Harrison will not be hosting the next season of ‘The Bachelorette.’ We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing. In his absence, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will support the new Bachelorette through next season. As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within ‘The Bachelor’ franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks. These are important steps in effecting fundamental change so that our franchise is a celebration of love that is reflective of our world,” Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment told HollywoodLife in a statement.
The statement arrived a month after Chris asked for “a little understanding” and “a little compassion” for Rachael during an interview with Rachel Lindsay, The Bachelorette Season 13 lead, on Extra on Feb. 9. While Matt James‘ season of The Bachelor aired, photos had surfaced of Rachael attending an old South, Antebellum-themed party while she was in college. The party was hosted by a fraternity that celebrated Confederate General Robert E. Lee as a “spiritual leader,” according to The Sun. A TikTok user had also claimed that Rachael had allegedly bullied her for liking Black guys while they attended high school together.
EXCLUSIVE: “It was a mistake.” #TheBachelor host Chris Harrison apologizes for defending frontrunner Rachael Kirkconnell’s past racist social media posts, telling @michaelstrahan he is an “imperfect man” who is “committed to progress.” https://t.co/OfPBBzGd9s pic.twitter.com/0EgbKV99DV
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 4, 2021
After Rachel pointed out that attending the old South party was “not a good look” for Rachael, Chris tried to defend her by saying, “Is it [not] a good look in 2018 or is it not a good look in 2021?…I’m not defending Rachael, I just know that 50 million people did that in 2018.”
Chris later admitted that he made “a mistake” while appearing on Good Morning America on March 4. “I am saddened and shocked at how insensitive I was in that interview with Rachel Lindsay. I didn’t speak from my heart. I stand against all forms of racism and I am deeply sorry,” he also said during the TV appearance. Chris also made it clear during the interview that he plans to “be back” as host of The Bachelor franchise, before his exit from the upcoming season of The Bachelorette was announced.
Amid this controversy, Rachael has issued her own apology for her past actions. “At one point I didn’t recognize how offensive and and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them. My age or when it happened doesn’t excuse anything. They are not acceptable or okay in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist,” she wrote amid a lengthy Instagram statement shared on Feb. 11.