'Bachelorette' Franchise Toxic? Rachel Lindsay Drops Exploitation Details In New Bombshell Op-Ed
Rachel Lindsay just let her pen do the talking this time.
Following her official exit from the franchise, Lindsay spoke candidly about the alleged exploitation during her stay within the fandom.
In a new op-ed for New York Magazine for its June 21 issue, Lindsay recalled the time she exited after feeling exhausted from defending herself amid fandom's toxicity.
The 36-year-old former Bachelorette referred to the franchise as a place with toxic fandom before revealing more details about her claims.
Per Lindsay, her infamous conversation with Chris Harrison caused the fandom to turn their back against her.
"The franchise has spent 19 years cultivating a toxic audience. They have constantly given it a product it wants: a midwestern/southern white, blonde, light-eyed Christian. Not all viewers are like that," she wrote, as quoted by People.
The Monday article also noted that, since the feud, she and Harrison divided the fandom into two - Bachelor Nation and Bachelor Klan.
Lindsay particularly explained the "latter fandom" as a group of fans with hateful and racist personalities. Per the alum, the people who belong to this fandom are "misogynistic, xenophobic, and homophobic" who are afraid of change.
ABC nor the franchise's executive has commented on Lindsay's shocking op-ed yet.
Rachel Lindsay Not Supposed To Be a Bachelorette
In the same article, the first Black Bachelorette recalled how she originally did not want to join the franchise. When she got the offer of the lead role, she immediately said no as she did not want to gamble her identity.
"I didn't want to be known as a reality-TV star," she said. "I didn't want to lose respect in the workplace."
However, she had a change of mind when she spoke to someone in her hometown who told her how the person's daughter likes the show.
She also got caught by the statement that the daughter felt excited to see Lindsay who represents her in the show.
Since then, she realized that some people still think of being a Black woman on the show as a positive representation. The encounter also let Lindsay know that a person can still receive compliments regardless of their race and background.
Unfortunately, Harrison ended that vision that caused both of them to leave the franchise.
The former host, for his part, reportedly received a $9 million payout which infuriated some fans who think he does not deserve it.
