Former The Bachelorette lead Rachel Lindsay has spoken out about why she decided to deactivate her Instagram.
Rachel appeared on her podcast Higher Learning after taking a break from co-hosting Bachelor Happy Hour.
During her conversation with Van Lathan on Higher Learning, Rachel claimed that her mental health took a toll after seeing one particularly negative social media comment.
“I saw something negative and I said, ‘You know what? Not today, not even this weekend,’ and currently still not now because I’m still disabled. It was the best decision that I could do for myself to detach from that negativity,” Rachel told her co-host Van Lathan.
She explained that she doesn’t regret her decision to deactivate her Instagram.
“I needed that, I feel so much better,” she added. “I’m not 100 percent, but I feel lighter.”
Rachel Linsday talks social media threats
Rachel also explained on the podcast that she has been receiving threats. She shared that many have been threatening to blackmail her once she returns to social media.
“People are attacking me because they think that I’m trying to cancel someone so they’re on a mission to cancel me. I’m getting threatened,” Rachel said. “People are threatening, like, ‘Oh I have this on you. I have this, I’m just waiting till you get back on social to unleash this kind of stuff.’”
Rachel is fed up with all of the viciousness and called for an end to the cyber-bullying.
“You’re affecting people’s well-being. Where does it end? Where does it stop? Until you take everybody down? That really can’t be,” she expressed.
Rachel receives support from The Bachelor community
Members of The Bachelor community have spoken out in support of Rachel even prior to her decision to leave social media.
Former The Bachelor lead Nick Viall and former Bachelor in Paradise star Caelynn Miller-Keyes have asked Bachelor Nation to stop hating on Rachel.
After her decision to deactivate Instagram, her husband, Bryan Abasolo and Bachelor Happy Hour co-host Becca Kufrin both expressed support for Rachel’s decision and called for an end to the hate.
The Bachelor producers eventually spoke out asking fans to stop harassing Rachel on behalf of Chris Harrison.
Even Rachael Kirkconnell, the woman whose controversy has lead to all of the backlash against Rachel, has begged Bachelor Nation to stop attacking Rachel.
The hate directed toward Rachel started after she interviewed Chris Harrison and called him out for defending Rachael after a picture of her with racist connotations surfaced.
The controversy is likely to be a big topic during The Bachelor’s live finale special After The Final Rose.
The Bachelor airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.