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What are Matt James' daddy issues? 'The Bachelor' fans say 'first Black Bachelor' is being 'exploited' for views

'This conversation with his father doesn’t sit right with me... Ain’t no way in hell you gon’ get over daddy issues within a five minute clip on Bachelor TV. I smell production ambush. #TheBachelor,' a fan wrote

With the conclusion of Season 25 of 'The Bachelor' nearing, Matt James and the final three suitresses, Michelle Young, Bri Springs and Rachael Kirkconnell are opening up about bigger issues in life, before taking their relationship ahead. However, what we didn’t expect to see was Matt’s father, Manny James, at his doorstep before the fantasy suite date. After witnessing the rather intense conversation between the father-son duo, fans are wondering if it was “appropriate” to be shown on national television. 

Matt tells on camera that he is apprehensive about committing to marriage, after experiencing a lot of “negativity” in his parents’ relationship. Matt sits his father down to talk about the impact his parents' absence had on his life and how it’s making him question his ability to be a father and husband. But, Matt’s father defends his case saying his son doesn’t know what he and his mother went through. He also says Matt’s mother had “left” when he came home once. 

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Matt, however, continues to pour his heart out as he tells Manny about everything he missed as a child growing up because of an absentee father and the toll it had on his mental health when he learned that his father was having “other families”. Manny tells Matt to not question himself for what happened in his parents’ marriage and even assured him that he would make a great father to his children. 

After a lot of confrontation, Manny is overwhelmed with emotions and tells his son that he wants to be around more for him, as Matt also tells his father that he wants to work on their relationship. Matt, however, notes that nobody can change in a day and he only wants to focus on being everything that his father wanted. 

It appears as if fans weren’t too comfortable with Matt and Manny’s conversation, as they feel the private and intense conversation shouldn’t have made it to national television. 

One tweeted, "This conversation with his father doesn’t sit right with me... Ain’t no way in hell you gon’ get over daddy issues within a five minute clip on Bachelor TV. I smell production ambush. #TheBachelor" Another wrote, "As someone with double daddy issues, the fact that Matt is having this conversation on live TV, probably because they asked him to have it, is really disappointing. It’s low, even for them (I’ve only been watching for 3 seasons) #thebachelor " One tweeted, "Not #TheBachelor exploiting the first Black bachelor’s trauma with his Black father for views. *turns that shit off immediately" Another wrote, "I really think it should've been done in private. The first time you get a black man and his father on the show, you publicly imply his deadbeat status. Yikes. White America - 1 Black America - 0 Just saying...way to be a stereotype. I'll go back to cringing now. #thebachelor "

A while, Matt took to Instagram to address his conversation with his father in the latest, March 8 episode. He said the sensitive issue must be perceived carefully owing to the stereotypes associated with "Black fathers"

'The Bachelor' airs on Mondays on ABC at 8 pm ET.