Rachel Lindsay shared an empowering message on her first day back to Instagram.
The former Bachelorette lead deactivated her account on Feb. 26 after receiving intense bullying from fans who blamed her for host Chris Harrison‘s temporary exit from the Bachelor franchise. However, on March 6, she returned, with a powerful post. In the caption of a pic of a vase of sunflowers, she wrote, “I want to be like a sunflower so that even on the darkest days I will stand tall and find the sunlight.”
She also shared a photo of herself hiking in Los Angeles to Instagram, writing “Good vibes only” on the photo.
Lindsay, a lawyer and the first-ever Black lead the Bachelor franchise, has long been outspoken about the ways in which the long-running ABC series needs to make progress in terms of inclusion. Last month, photos of current Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at an Old South party in 2018 surfaced, prompting accusations of racism.
On the show, the Extra correspondent spoke to Harrison about the photos, which celebrate Southern plantation culture before the American Civil War, when slavery was legal.
Harrison defended Kirkconnell’s actions, insisting antebellum era-themed parties were socially acceptable in 2018 and cited the “woke police” as the reason for the backlash. Lindsay pushed back, explaining to Harrison why the photos were so harmful to people of color. Harrison received much criticism for his interview from fans and members of Bachelor Nation, and later, the host apologized, as well as announced his temporary departure from the franchise.
