The Bachelor franchise faces yet another accusation of discrimination

The Bachelor franchise is no stranger to criticism, especially when it comes to discrimination.

During the quarantine, it was revealed that Clare Crawley was the next Bachelorette. Although some fans were thrilled with the choice, others wondered when it would be time for a person of color to take the lead.

Online campaigns began surfacing asking ABC to be more inclusive when it came to casting.

Within a few months, the franchise revealed that Matt James would be the lead for the 2021 season of The Bachelor. Tayshia Adams is reportedly filming her season of The Bachelorette right now.

While many fans are saying that the casting is great and that the franchise is going in the right direction, the franchise is also facing criticism when it comes to diversity behind the scenes.

The Bachelor franchise is facing a new round of discrimination claims

This week, a story surfaced from someone who claimed to have experienced racism during the hiring process. Reality Steve shared the story on his Instagram account.

He explained that the story comes from @jazzynicolecollins. Apparently, a black Emmy-nominated producer was interviewed to work on The Bachelor. She was told that while this was a great position and would be a great opportunity for her, everyone started in an entry-level position.

The post also shared the opinion of someone who had been hired on the show, who said, “I’ve seen many people on that show, including myself, NOT being hired at an entry-level position.”

Reality Steve added his own thoughts, writing, “Apparently the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

The email that the user is referring to was shared online. We don’t have a date on the email or a contact person, but the screenshot does confirm that the person is being asked to start in an entry-level position.

“As I mentioned on the call, we start everyone at entry-level and then move up within the company. All supervisors and executives have grown with the company and been here for years,” the email reads.

“We are fortunate that we have a strong level of diversity in all departments but as everyone has learned we can always do better.”

That last statement could hint that this is a newer incident, as they admit to being able to do better with diversity on the show.

The Bachelor franchise is no stranger to discrimination claims

This isn’t the first time that The Bachelor franchise has been accused of discrimination.

Back in June, we reported on a story where someone recalled a discrimination lawsuit from 2012. The lawsuit was launched as former applicants claimed that producers avoided casting people of color. There was also talk about how the franchise legally had the right to discriminate.

Also in June, Matt James was named the next Bachelor, making him the first person of color to take the lead on Tthe show. The announcement came after weeks of harsh criticism from fans asking the franchise and the network to be more inclusive.

The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.