The Bachelor star Rachael Kirkconnell has broken her silence again regarding the racism scandal that has rocked Bachelor Nation.
The controversial Bachelor star decided to speak out on her social media account last night.
In her statement, Rachael acknowledged that she was wrong and that she wanted to use her Bachelor platform to shine a light on the issues that need to be addressed.
Rachael Kirkconnell reveals people want accountability
In the 7-minute long statement, Rachael appeared to be sitting on the floor, wearing a hoodie.
She was in a bedroom and spoke in a soft voice.
“Over the last few weeks, since I put my statement out, I’ve gotten a lot of messages,” Rachael said in the video.
“I’ve got a lot of people asking me, well, what have you done to change since then? And I’ve also had a lot of people message me saying that they aren’t understanding why people are so upset. But they want to, and they’ve asked for resources, which I think is great.”
Rachael also revealed that what is happening in the country now is a big movement, a movement she’s a vital part of because of what happened with the photos and how the Bachelor franchise is choosing to handle everything.
“This entire movement in where we are in this country, it’s just so much bigger than this,” she continued. “I want and need to use my privilege and my platform that I so do not deserve just to shine a light on these issues and try and do what I can to you know take a step in the right direction.”
Rachael pointed out that change needs to happen and we all have to work together to make that change a reality.
“Things will never change if we don’t all work together in working towards this racial progress and this unity that we want,” she explained.
You can watch the whole statement here.
Rachael did shine a light on people who had reached out to her to tell her that she had nothing to apologize for. She asked them to stop defending her, telling her followers that it’s not her – or anyone’s place – to tell people what they can and can’t be offended about.
“If you are in my comments or defending me anywhere telling people that I did nothing wrong, that there’s nothing to be hurt about, there’s nothing to be angry about or offended about, please stop,” she said. “That’s not our place to tell people what they can and can’t be offended about. That’s wrong and that’s part of the problem.”
Rachael Kirkconnell’s photos have caused a wave of change in Bachelor Nation
It was earlier this year that photos of Rachael surfaced online. The photos were from 2018 and showed her at a Southern Belle Antebellum party, which has been referenced as a plantation-themed party.
At the time, Rachael didn’t speak out about the photos, possibly due to contractual restrictions.
Chris Harrison was asked about Rachael’s photos during an interview with Rachel Lindsay for Extra, where he didn’t condemn her actions. Instead, he explained that it wasn’t up to anyone to judge the photos as he asked for viewers to show some grace for Rachael.
That resulted in a major backlash within Bachelor Nation, including former cast members calling for Chris to be removed from his hosting duties.
Now, it’s being revealed that Chris’s role within the franchise may see some changes. He has already revealed that he was stepping back from the After The Final Rose segment and it sounds like his role as The Bachelorette host could also be up in the air.
Right now, Bachelor In Paradise has not been discussed, but some Bachelor Nation stars, including Ivan Hall, felt that it would be too soon for Chris to return to the franchise.
Mike Johnson said last week that he thinks Chris should be completely removed from the franchise, and pursue other ventures.
Throughout this time, Chris himself has remained silent on his future plans.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.