Rachel Lindsay: ‘The Bachelorette’ purposely cast Black men who ‘didn’t date Black women’
"I also learned as I was going through my season that several of the Black men on my season didn't date Black women," said Lindsay.
Rachel Lindsay is speaking out again about her experience on The Bachelorette.
The first Black woman cast as The Bachelorette in 2017 spoke out about producers purposely selecting Black men who do not date Black women for her season. Lindsay also said she receives backlash for selecting a white man, People reported.
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“All three of the Black Bachelors and Bachelorettes have ended up with partners who are not of color,” said comedian Ziwe Fumudogh on her new self titled Showtime variety series which aired on Monday to Lindsay.
Tayshia Adams, the second Black Bachelorette, and the first Bachelor of the franchise Matt James, both chose white partners as well.
“It’s something I was worried about before I went on the show,” responded Lindsay, 36. “I think I got a little bit more grace because I was the first and people were just excited that a person of color was in this role.”
“But then I think when the next person chose someone that wasn’t Black, and then by the time we got to the third one it was like ‘you know what they’re just not going to choose anybody that’s Black.'”
The Bachelor franchise is infamous for its lack of diversity. The ABC dating show first aired in 2002 but did not cast a Black lead until Lindsay in 2017.
Lindsay, who is known for speaking up about the lack of diversity in the series, claims she is upset about “how unfairly people of color are held to certain standards that their white counterparts aren’t,” and added that there is also “a casting issue.”
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“There was a point where I broke down on camera, and they used my tears for something else, but I was getting upset at the selection of men of color,” she told the host. “I also learned as I was going through my season that several of the Black men on my season didn’t date Black women.”
She claims producers “found it interesting” to select Black men who had never dated a Black woman.
“I said ‘You think that’s interesting? That’s my life. I live that,'” added Lindsay who is an attorney.
The reality star, who also hosts Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay, said she is excited about distancing herself from the franchise. But as of now, she is obligated.
“I’m contractually bound in some ways, but when it’s up, I am, too. I can’t. I can’t do it anymore,” said the attorney on her podcast.
The star, who married Colombian doctor Bryan Abasolo from her season, quit her Bachelor Happy Hour podcast. Earlier this month, she announced her departure on the show.
“You know, I talk about why I’m leaving, but I’m not saying ‘thank you’ enough,” said Lindsay to co-host Becca Kufrin, a former Bachelorette, per People. “So I want to say thank you to you, I want to thank Warner Brothers … the franchise.”
“We know I have this love-hate relationship, but I am thankful for the opportunity to do this podcast, and it has been so great and so much fun,” she said. “I feel like you and I have made an impact in Bachelor Nation, which is something we both stand for and we always wanna do.”
Lindsay added: “And I just want to thank all of our listeners and the fans of the show for your support. Sometimes you hear the negativity louder than the support, but there is so much overwhelming support and so I just want to say ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’ to all of you before we get all into this episode in case I forget. I want you to know how much you mean to me and how much I appreciate you.”
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