Chris Harrison’s girlfriend Lauren Zima is finally addressing the controversial comments about racism that pushed her longtime host boyfriend to step down from The Bachelor.
The 33-year-old Entertainment Tonight host, who has been dating the ABC mainstay since early 2019, took to her Instagram Story on Saturday to share a brief message about her man’s most recent backlash.
“What Chris said was wrong and disappointing. Defending racism can never happen. Accountability comes first, what’s next is learning and growth.”
Related: Bachelor’s Rachael Kirkconnell Addresses Reaction To Her Racism Apology
Wow, is that all you had to say, Lauren?? Really??
The reporter’s post about her guy came just hours after the franchise host announced on Instagram that he was “stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special,” for Matt James’ season, which will hit our screens soon. In the reveal, he said:
“My ignorance did damage to my friends, my colleagues, and strangers alike. I have no one to blame but myself for what I said and the way I spoke. I set standards for myself, and I have not met them. I feel that with every fiber of my being.”
Ch-ch-check out the entire statement (below):
The television personality decided to take a break from the reality dating series after he faced a ton of heat for defending current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell against multiple claims of previous racist behavior in an interview with Rachel Lindsay for Extra. In the shameful conversation, he said that the “woke police” were out to get the 24-year-old, and everyone needed to offer her a little “grace.”
As a reminder, it is not your place, Chris, to tell anyone to offer “grace” to someone, who has wrongfully hurt an entire community through her past actions. In case you didn’t know, the graphic designer had previously “liked” racially charged social media posts, bullied a classmate for dating Black men, and attended an antebellum plantation-themed party in college.
Fans and former Bachelor Nation contestants slammed him for his harmful words, forcing the Texas native to release an apology on IG earlier this week. In it, Chris said that he was “deeply remorseful” for what he said and apologized for his “ignorance.”
Afterward, Kirkconnell broke her silence about the controversy in a lengthy Insta post on Thursday , writing:
“While there have been rumors circulating, there have also been truths that have come to light that I need to address. I hear you, and I’m here to say I was wrong. At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them. My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or okay in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”
It still doesn’t excuse you, Rachael.
Anyway, there hasn’t been any news on who will replace the 49-year-old’s spot on the popular special and how long his exit will last. But who do U think will take on his role for the future episodes? What do U think about Lauren’s message to fans? Who do U think we will hear from next? (Yeah, we’re still waiting on you, Mike Fleiss.) Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Image via Avalon/WENN]
The post Chris Harrison’s Girlfriend Speaks Out About His Temporary <i>Bachelor</i> Exit Amid Racism Controversy appeared first on Perez Hilton.