‘The Bachelor’ star Tayshia Adams slams Rachael Kirkconnell’s Antebellum party photos and actions as racist
Earlier this month, Rachael Kirkconnell, one of many women competing on season 25 of ‘The Bachelor’ that features Matt James, the first Black lead on the reality show, found herself in hot water after new photos emerged of the Georgia native allegedly attending an "Old South" Ball in an antebellum plantation dress. James is biracial but identifies as Black.
As per a ScreenRant report, a Reddit user found photos from 2018 of what the user claimed was Kirkconnell attending an Old South Ball -- reportedly part of Old South Week each year -- which celebrates Southern plantation life. The ball was thrown by the fraternity Kappa Alpha, which reportedly, is a historically racist fraternity. According to The New York Times, the fraternity has historical ties to the KKK and claims Robert E. Lee as its "spiritual founder."
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As per the ScreenRant report, Kirkconnell was invited during her senior year of college in 2018. One photo is a selfie in a pink antebellum dress with two friends, and the other is a group shot of all the women invitees, in their ruffled, hoop-skirted dresses, sitting in the grass. Earlier, an allegation came from TikTok user @maddybierster who posted a video claiming that she went to high school with Kirkconnell, and claimed she used to bully girls for liking Black guys.
Chris Harrison’s bad defense
Matters only got worse when host Chris Harrison defended Kirkconnell’s past actions in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay saying that Kirkconnell was “thrown to the lions”. He said, “I haven’t talked to Rachael [Kirkconnell] about it, and this is where we need to have a little grace… because I have seen some stuff online -- this judge, jury, executioner thing -- where they’re just tearing this girl’s life apart and diving into her parents and her parents’ voting record.”
He further said, “Is it a good look in 2018 or is it not a good look in 2021, because there’s a big difference. I don’t disagree with you. You’re 100 percent right in 2021. That was not the case in 2018. I’m not defending Rachael -- I just know that 50 million people who did that in 2018. That was a type of party that a lot of people went to,” adding, “My guess? These girls got dressed and went to a party and had a great time. They were 18 years old. Does that make it okay? I don’t know, Rachel, you tell me.”
The subsequent backlash
Past and present contestants have come forward with their takes.
Tayshia Adams, who identifies as bi-racial, has also weighed in on her Instagram Story. Adams was a contestant on season 23 of ‘The Bachelor’ and season 6 of ‘Bachelor in Paradise’. In November 2020, Adams replaced Clare Crawley as the Bachelorette on season 16 of ‘The Bachelorette’. She said, “I am really hurt and disappointed and confused at the ignorance when it comes to race. But the things that have come to light in ‘The Bachelor’ franchise last week have just been eye-opening. I want to talk about the conversation that was had between Rachel Lindsay and Chris Harrison.”
Adams said that the photo Kirkconnell was in was racist and “the party she attended, racist. Her actions have been racist.” She argued that “when there are blatant forms of racist acts, you cannot be defensive of it.”
Earlier, Michelle Young, a contestant on this season of ‘The Bachelor’, posted a statement on behalf of the women participating in season 25: "We are the women of ‘Bachelor’ Season 25. Twenty-five women who identify as BIPOC were cast on this historic season that was meant to represent change. We are deeply disappointed and want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism. Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals. These experiences are not to be exploited or tokenized.”
Former contestant Brett Vergara posted a statement on behalf of the men from his season: "As members of Season 16 of 'The Bachelorette', it is important that we acknowledge where we stand at this time. We had the opportunity to be a part of one of the most diverse casts in the history of the franchise. The addition of more people who identify at BIPOC has opened up the conversation on race, community, and who we are as people. A conversation that has been long overdue. We stand united in denouncing racist behavior and any defense thereof. We also stand united with the women on Season 25 of 'The Bachelor', who have denounced the same; moreover, we stand united with Rachel Lindsay, who has led the way."
Apologies from the two
Both Kirkconnell and Harrison have issued apologies for their actions. In her apology, Kirkconnell admitted her "ignorance was racist" and said, "I was wrong." She added that at the time, she "didn't recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn't excuse them." Harrison wrote in his apology, “While I do not speak for Rachael Kirkconnell, my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf. What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism and for that, I am so deeply sorry.”
