Chris Harrison made an official statement on social media to announce his departure from The Bachelor franchise.
After hosting the show for 19 years, he is finally stepping away following the racism controversy.
He took to his Instagram and said, “I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter.”
Since hosting The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise, Chris has made incredible friendships with the various leads and contestants from the show.
He noted, “I’m so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we’ve made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.”
Despite all of the controversy surrounding him these last few months, there have been plenty of members of Bachelor Nation, including former contestants and fans, who have shown their support for Chris.
Many of his supporters shared messages of gratitude and love on his departure post.
Bachelor Nation shows love and support for Chris Harrison as he announces his departure from the franchise
Several former contestants and leads from the show took the time to wish Chris well on his future endeavors.
Former Bachelorette lead Joelle Fletcher wrote, “Love you my friend [heart emoji]”
JP Rosenbaum echoed similar sentiments and told the former host that he loved him.
Former contestant Graham Bunn told Chris that he “can’t wait” to see what he does next.
Arie Luyendyk Jr. told Chris that he loved him, and added, “On to bigger and better things.”
Bachelor alum weren’t the only ones to chime in as several fans were sad to see him go and didn’t think the show would be the same without him.
Some of them even vowed to stop watching the show because they didn’t agree with the way everything was handled.
Chris will be paid a large sum of money to walk away quietly
According to Deadline, Chris will reportedly receive a large eight-figure payout to walk away quietly from the franchise.
The exact amount has yet to be disclosed, but it was reported that the settlement came after Chris’s lawyer threatened to “expose” some things that had gone on behind the scenes if Chris wasn’t compensated appropriately.
Chris hired his lawyer shortly after stepping aside from the show, and many wondered what his next steps would be or what legal action he would take.
While many fans were upset with Chris for the racism controversy, there were just as many who supported him and felt he should have been given a second chance to make amends and learn from what had happened.
It’s unknown at this time whether a new permanent host will take Chris’s place in the franchise, or whether they will continue to rotate through guest hosts for the upcoming seasons.
Based on the support he received on social media, it’s clear that a big portion of Bachelor Nation is looking forward to seeing what Chris Harrison does next.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.