Don Lemon and Bachelorette Star Rachel Lindsay Decry Host Chris Harrison Amid Racism Scandal: I Don’t Know if His Apology is ‘Sincere’

CNN’s Don Lemon sat down with Rachel Lindsay, the first and only Black woman to be cast as The Bachelorette lead, to address the recent racism controversy involving the franchise’s host Chris Harrison and Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.

Kirkconnell, who has become a clear frontrunner for this season’s star and first Black Bachelor Matt James, faced intense scrutiny last week when a viral TikTok accused her of sharing posts pushing QAnon conspiracy theories and liking others containing the Confederate flag.

Kirkconnell’s controversial social media presence did not stop there, as over the weekend, unearthed pictures appeared on Reddit, which show the Bachelor contestant at an “Old South” plantation-themed college party in 2018.

Lindsay, who faced a significant amount of racism while starring on the show in 2017, later sat down with Harrison for an entirely unedited interview on Extra — labeling Kirkconnell’s resurfaced posts as “not a good look.”

“Well, Rachel, is it a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021? Because there’s a big difference,” Harrison said to Lindsay, implying that glorifying the antebellum south was acceptable three years ago.

“It’s not a good look ever,” responded a clearly irate Lindsay. “Because she’s celebrating the Old South. If I went to that party, what would I represent at that party?”

The host also decried cancel culture, exclaiming, “The woke police is out there, and this poor girl Rachael has just been thrown to the lions.”

Harrison issued an apology the next day, writing, “What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry” — later temporarily stepping down as host.

Lemon invited Lindsay to sit down for an interview on Monday night, roughly one week after her interview with Harrison, during which the two addressed Harrison’s “privilege” and condemned him for seamlessly defending Kirkconnell’s actions while failing to empathize with victims of racism.

“Why do you think Chris Harrison was willing to give Rachel Kirkconnell so much room for her hurtful actions yet couldn’t muster an empathy towards communities of color who were offended or even to you in that interview — and correct me if I’m wrong — seemingly as if trying to teach you something?”

Lindsay labeled Harrison’s reaction to Kirkconnell as “the problem with our society,” explaining that too often, people refuse to understand someone else’s perspective, and instead focus on defending “what he represents.”

“It was baffling to me that he was preaching grace and space and compassion, but you’re talking to someone and you’re not giving them that same thing or the community that she represents or the very people who are offended by the actions of the girl that you’re defending,” Lindsay added.

“It really was baffling in the moment. But I thought if you’re going to say this, then folks need to hear it.”

After reading both Harrison and Kirkconnell’s apologies, Lemon questioned the authenticity of their statements, later faulting the Bachelor host failing to learn about racism in the United States despite being alive for almost five decades.

“I don’t know if these apologies are sincere, or what have you. All right. That’s — Rachael did what Rachael did. You haven’t interviewed her but you interviewed Chris. Chris has been on this Earth for five decades. He is 49 years old, and he hasn’t had to deal with these issues?” Lemon said. “He hasn’t taken the opportunity, or the chance, in-almost-50 years, especially doing what he does and the history of the show, to learn about racism in America? That’s, actually, the definition of privilege.”

Lemon earned an “Absolutely,” from Lindsay in return, who then went on to point out the difference between explicit and implicit racism.

“This was a teachable moment for people because everyone wants to say, you think racism just has to be explicit,” Lindsay added. “This was an example of implicit racism. There was some unconscious bias that Chris Harrison had that were coming out in that interview, and I think that he has realized that and that’s where that apology is coming from.”

Lindsay went on to note that Kirkconnell and her sorority were celebrating a time when Lindsay would have been considered three-fifths of a person.

“The whole thing, it was stunning to me because he kept talking about cancel culture and making it about him and about cancel culture,” Lemon said, later adding, “It was a window into how he thinks because he kept talking about the ‘woke police’ and all of this, and we know that terminology is used by people who want to be able to say and do racist things without consequence because what does he mean by the ‘woke police’ and all — what is that?”

Lindsay pointed out that “accountability” is more apt a word than “woke police,” exclaiming that people should not be able to say whatever they want and then blame cancel culture when others want to hold them accountable.

“And I think Chris is realizing that, which, again, we’re seeing this in not one but now two apologies and with him acting by stepping side. So we’ll see where we go from here,” she added. “We’ll see what’s learned.”

Watch above, via CNN.

The post Don Lemon and Bachelorette Star Rachel Lindsay Decry Host Chris Harrison Amid Racism Scandal: I Don’t Know if His Apology is ‘Sincere’ first appeared on Mediaite.