It’s all over for Chris Harrison.
The longtime Bachelor franchise host — who has been part of the reality TV show and all of its spinoffs since way back in 2002 — is officially DONE for good. According to reports published on Tuesday morning, he will never again return to the air to host any more episodes of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, or Bachelor in Paradise. WOW!
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Deadline reported the news first on Tuesday, citing a source who indicated the decision was made to boot the 49-year-old host for good from the Mike Fleiss-created reality TV juggernaut.
And while we are supposed to hear “the usual platitudes” in the form of public statements confirming Chris’ departure at some point later today, the outlet claims “there is certainly no romance in the air behind the scenes” between Harrison and the show’s producers.
Yikes!!!
The report also notes one more HUGE piece of info: Harrison will receive a final rose of sorts in the form of “a mid-range eight-figure payoff and promise to keep his mouth shut.” The report suggests producers are worried about Harrison possibly leaking the show’s “dirty laundry” including some reportedly ugly behind-the-scenes legal issues, and so BIG money would do the work to keep him quiet. Hmmm….!
Still, mid-range eight-figures means what — somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 MILLION, give or take?!
Holy s**t! All for getting into hot water after defending former contestant Rachael Kirkconnell‘s past racist fraternity formal behavior?! Talk about failing forward… what a payday!!!
Of course, if we’re being honest, the writing has been on the wall that Harrison was the proverbial dead man walking on the reality TV series for quite a while. After the Kirkconnell scandal first broke, the embattled host was replaced by Emmanuel Acho on that season’s After The Final Rose. From there, former Bachelorette contestants Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams agreed to co-host the coming season of that spin-off.
And just recently, it was revealed that David Spade and a rotating group of other comedians were being pursued to host Bachelor in Paradise moving forward. Clearly, the show’s producers were busy preparing for life after Chris — and, well, here we are now.
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The timing is a bit ironic — or maybe it’s perfectly symbolic — in that season 17 of The Bachelorette debuted last night with Bristowe and Adams (and NOT Harrison) at the helm. Deadline adds that Monday’s Bachelorette opener was apparently the sell-by date for Harrison’s legal reps. The outlet reports they’d become “increasingly intense” in negotiations over the past few days trying to do right by their client and figure out his future ahead of season 17’s summer run.
All this feels kind of inevitable, then. But mid eight-figures on the payout?! We can’t get over that. Chris got PAID — and for what?! For defending a racist tradition??
Jeez!!!
Talk about privilege…
What say U, Perezcious readers?! Sound OFF about this bombshell Bachelor Nation news down in the comments (below)!!!
[Image via Nicky Nelson/WENN]
The post Chris Harrison Is DONE With The <i>Bachelor</i> Franchise & He's Getting A HUGE Payout To Walk Away appeared first on Perez Hilton.
