On Monday, Feb. 22, Matt addressed the controversy surrounding Rachael, while also commenting on Chris’ backlash.
“The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging of my life,” he began his Instagram post, “and while there are several episodes left of the season, it is important that I take the time to address the troubling information that has come to light since we wrapped filming, including the incredibly disappointing photos of Rachael Kirkconnell and the interview between Rachel Lindsay and Chris Harrison.”
“The reality is that I’m learning about these situations in real-time,” he pointed out, “and it has been devastating and heartbreaking, to put it bluntly.”
“Chris’ failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch,” Matt continued, “As Black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that The Bachelor franchise has fallen short on addressing adequately for years.”
