Bachelor contestant Serena Pitt spoke publicly about her reaction to her former roommate Rachael Kirkconnell’s apology for attending a plantation-themed party.
Pitt appeared in an interview with Entertainment Tonight after the last episode of The Bachelor showed Serena pulling herself from the competition.
She opened up about everything from Kirkconnell to the nearing Bachelor season finale to her future in the franchise.
Serena voices her opinion
In the interview, Serena expressed that she was completely surprised when the photos of Rachael at the 2018 plantation-themed party recently resurfaced.
“I didn’t expect it, there was nothing in the house that made me predict that something like this could be associated with Rachael,” said Pitt.
Serena and Rachael spent a lot of time together; they both made it very far in this season of the Bachelor.
After the infamous hometown visits, Pitt removed herself from the show when she admitted that she didn’t think Matt James was the right fit for her.
Rachael still remains as a finalist this season.
Serena suspected that Rachael would be the one to win it all on this season. She pointed out that Kirkconnell has been the only contestant that Matt has specifically said that he was falling for.
Pitt discussed what Kirkconnell’s controversy might mean for the couple.
“I’m sure that if they are together and if he has chosen her at the end of this, that is something they will have to address within their relationship. And they will have to have some very honest and difficult conversations,” Serena mentioned.
Regarding Kirkconnell’s apology, Serena thought that she overall handled it well.
“I respect her for saying, ‘Do not defend me,’ because what she did was wrong and no one should be defending those racist actions that have come out,” Serena remarked. “I am really looking forward to her continuing that work and I think that she’s got a great platform to be able to speak out and educate people on that, and I’ve seen her do that and I am hopeful that she will continue to do that moving forward.”
All in all, Pitt believes that Rachael has changed since the 2018 party, but still has much growing to do.
Could Serena be the next Bachelorette? Well, not if Harrison is there
Serena revealed that she is open to the idea of becoming the next Bachelorette, but with some reservations.
Fans know that the Bachelor’s longtime host Chris Harrison decided to step down from his position. This was a result of Harrison receiving backlash after defending Kirkconnell’s actions in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay.
When asked if she would be comfortable with Chris coming back hosting her hypothetical season, Serena replied: “I would struggle because the amount of work that needs to be done here; I feel there would be more time needed. I would need to see the changes that have been happening in [Chris’s] life.”
In Harrison’s Good Morning America apology, he mentioned that he has been meeting with a “race educator and strategist” in order to learn how to better handle racially sensitive topics. GMA host Michael Strahan questioned the sincerity of Chris’s interview, but he hoped that Chris would continue his journey.
Entertainment Tonight reported that “Serena said… she and the other women who vied for James’ heart are ‘exhausted’ by the controversy surrounding The Bachelor this season, but are continuing to support Rachel Lindsay.”
After Lindsay started to receive immense amounts of hate from social media after her segment with Chris, Serena and the other women of color from this season of the Bachelor banded together on behalf of Rachel Lindsay on Instagram.
Serena’s post reads, “Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals.”
Both Harrison and Kirkconnell hope that their work towards anti-racism can bring them back into the good graces of Bachelor Nation.
What’s next for this season of the Bachelor?
Audiences have been hoping that Serena and Matt will get back together, but Pitt has not indicated any interest in exploring their relationship further.
Bachelor fans will have to wait until the reunion to see the current status of Matt James’s relationships with all of the girls.
Sports analyst and TV personality Emmanuel Acho has been announced as the replacement for Chris on the After the Final Rose Special.
The ending of this controversial season is expected to be explosive, especially when a surprise from Matt’s past makes him question everything.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.