BACHELOR fans have demanded ABC fire Chris Harrison following backlash for “defending” Rachael Kirkconnell’s “racist” allegations.
In addition to Chris’ controversy trending on Twitter all week, a mass petition with 25,000 signatures and counting urged the show to drop its host of 20 years from the franchise.
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After he made a series of “offensive” comments during an interview this week with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, a petition launched titled “Remove Chris Harrison from the Bachelor Franchise.”
According to the change.com appeal, Chris, 49, “has a history of misogyny and racist behavior and racist-sympathizing behavior.”
In addition to his comments this week, the website notes previous interviews with Chris – including one from 2018 when he commented on the Me Too movement.
He said: “When you walk into the room as a man, you’re always in the wrong. Especially these days.
“Men are always the a-hole in a situation, even when they have the higher moral ground — women are always in the right, men are always wrong, and we are supposed to just deal with that.”
The petition has surpassed its goal of 25,000 signatures as the number continues to climb.
Chris’ name has also circulated social media this week, with many on Twitter calling for him to be ousted from the series he both hosts and produces.
“Literally just fire Chris Harrison and replace him with Rachel Lindsay. We all know she’d make a better host of The Bachelor,” one critic said.
Another wrote: “Chris Harrison really tried to argue that racism didn’t exist in 2018?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fire this man now.”
“If your gut reaction to being asked about racist behavior is to defend said racist behavior, then you must actually believe it’s defensible. Fire Chris Harrison,” a third mentioned.
While someone else quipped “Good morning, time to fire Chris Harrison,” and many more echoing the sentiment – with some tagging the controversial show creator, Mike Fleiss.
Chris has hosted the show and served as an executive producer for The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and all of its spinoffs since premiering in 2002.
Throughout the past few weeks, contestant Rachael, 24, has been criticized and even labeled “racist” by fans for resurfaced photos from 2018 showing her attending an “Old South” plantation party in an Antebellum dress.
She was also slammed for dressing up in a Native American costume and for engaging in controversial social media activity.
This week, Chris came under fire for his comments with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay about the Matt James frontrunners’ allegations of “racism.”
In his interview with Rachel – the first Black lead in franchise history – the host said: “We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion.
“Because I’ve seen some stuff online… again, this ‘judge, jury, executioner’ thing where people are just tearing this girl’s life apart.
“I haven’t heard Rachael speak on this yet, and until I actually hear this woman have a chance to speak, who am I to say [anything]?”
Chris then said it will be “interesting” when Rachael does speak as he: “thinks she’ll be able to give an eloquent enough reason for most reasonable people.
“But reasonable people aren’t on social media, and that’s who you’re dealing with.”
The longtime face of the franchise also “justified” the behavior as “okay in 2018” but “not okay in 2021” – adding that he’s not the “woke police.”
After fans slammed him for “defending” the reality star, Chris took to Instagram and apologized for the “mistake” of “perpetuating racism” in a lengthy post.
