Rachel Lindsay Opens Up About Receiving Death Threats After Her Infamous Interview With Chris Harrison
Fans of "The Bachelor" were stunned in 2021 when longtime host Chris Harrison left the franchise for good.
The move came after Harrison had taken a step back from the show following the backlash he received for an interview with former "Bachelorette" star Rachel Lindsay (via Entertainment Tonight).
During the talk, Harrison defended "Bachelor" contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's past racially insensitive actions, asking fans to offer her "grace" and speaking out about the "woke police."
Harrison later apologized to Lindsay and others that he offended. Meanwhile, Lindsay revealed that she was very by Harrison's permanent exit from the franchise.
"I gotta say, I am [shocked]. I wasn't expecting for it to happen, not after the announcement," Lindsay said following the controversy. She noted that the decision was likely motivated, in part, by the fact that several past contestants came forward expressing discomfort with Harrison.
"I think Katie Thurston, her very last tweet before she went to film her season was that Chris needed to step away," she said. "I think that, coupled with the interview that happened on this very stage, maybe led to him not coming back."
Lindsay also noted how, over the show's past 19 years on the air, Harrison had been less and less of a presence, speculating that perhaps producers — or even Harrison himself — were ready to part ways. "Maybe that's the case," she said. "We don't know."
Now, Lindsay is opening up about how Harrison's controversy has impacted her own life.
Rachel Lindsay gets candid about the backlash from Chris Harrison's Bachelor exit
While Chris Harrison took the brunt of the criticism following his controversial interview with Rachel Lindsay, the former reality star says she was also greatly impacted by the situation.
After Harrison's exit as host of the "The Bachelor" was made official, Lindsay says that some disgruntled fans harassed her online and even sent death threats, per People.
"I'm used to being misunderstood," Lindsay said. "But people who didn't even watch the show were saying, 'That woman got that man canceled.' I had commenters saying they hoped I was infertile. That ripped me up inside."
While it's been several months since Harrison's departure, Lindsay admits that she continues to get hate online regarding the situation.
"I still get messages blaming me for the show not being the way it used to be. But I think that's a good thing," she said, adding it was "never part of some master plan" for Harrison to leave the franchise.
However, Lindsay does have high hopes for the reality dating series. "I hope the show steps up and diversifies more, whether it's with age or gender or race. I would like for them to naturally and organically step into 2022," she said.
Following Harrison's exit, former "Bachelor" star Jesse Palmer was tapped as the new host.