Getty Zach Shallcross with contestants.
One rejected contestant on “The Bachelor” has unloaded on Zach Shallcross.
Shallcross rejected contestant Lekha Ravi, who caused controversy when she licked him on the show this season. On Instagram, Ravi shared a clip of that moment, in which she told Shallcross, “I licked it so it’s mine,” according to The Sun. The post is no longer visible on her Instagram page.
Her Instagram profile now reads, “Got kicked off The Bachelor for licking his👂🤷🏽♀️ Unapologetically living my life ✌️ Miami Based📍”
She also shared a video of her licking a rose to Miley Cyrus’s song, “Flowers.” That post is still visible on her page.
According to The Sun, Ravi was also the center of other controversy when contestant Greer Blitzer was accused of making an offensive remark by saying to her, “Oh, you’re Indian? I thought you were white. You look white.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Former Contestant Lekha Ravi Declared That She Isn’t Into ‘Boring Bach Energy’
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The beginning of Ravi’s Instagram post started out positive, according to the Sun, which quoted her as saying, “It truly was a dream come true for me when I was selected for #TheBachelor, and I’d like to thank @bachelorabc and the whole production crew and team for this incredible opportunity.”
“Obviously, things didn’t turn out anything quite as expected and I had no idea what I signed up for, but I took a chance and leap of faith and I’m glad you guys got to see my personality and character shine through on screen – I left with no regrets because of. that and I’m proud of staying completely authentic and true to myself in this entire process,” she said, according to The Sun.
However, then it turned negative, with her saying she didn’t care that she wasn’t given a rose by “one guy who barely got to know me” and declaring that she is “not into #boringbachenergy anyways,” the Sun reported.
“I’m grateful for the #BachelorNation community and the outpour of support I received – connecting with you guys made the entire experience worth it, so thank you all,” she added, according to The Sun.
According to Cheat Sheet, in January, Ravi posted in her Instagram story and slammed the producers, writing,
Maybe my lack of screen time was them trying to protect a certain image of the show and that of their lead. Maybe showing only tears (out of context) was them trying to get back at me who knows. It means so much you guys still saw my true character and personality shine through no matter the lack of screen time or edit that was shown to the public – I stayed true to myself and authentic throughout the process and will continue to do so within the limitations I can. And believe me I’ve cried more reading your comments and messages of support than over any guy I just met one night and barely got to talk to.
That post is also no longer visible. According to Cheat Sheet, she also said the following before editing her Instagram caption:
You guys saw my personality and character shine through on screen – I left with no regrets because of that and I’m proud of staying completely authentic and true to myself in this entire process, which is more than most can say coming out of it. Who cares if one vanilla guy who barely got to know me and whom I barely spoke to didn’t give me a [rose emoji] – anyone who knows me knows I’m allergic to boring so it wouldn’t have been a match with this Mr. Family, Football & Frozen Pizza dude anyways.
Lekha Ravi Declared That Getting Kicked Off ‘The Bachelor’ Was ‘God’s Protection & Redirection to Better’
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Ravi also wished Shallcross luck. “@zachshallcross I wish you a journey full of happiness and excitement and may we get to watch a beautiful love story unfold for you,” she said, according to The Sun.
“As for me, I believe everything always works out in my favor and it certainly was gods protection and redirection to better,” The Sun reported.
According to the Sun, ratings plummeted for Shallcross’s season premiere, leading to fears the show could be cancelled.
“With Zach, execs fear they really made the wrong choice because there haven’t been any indicators people care,” a source told The Sun.
Bachelor Nation gives this biography for Ravi:
Lekha is a woman of the world! She was born in Chennai, India, and moved to the United States at 7 years old. Since then, she’s lived in California, North Carolina, New York and Florida. It may take a little while for Lekha to come out of her shell, but her exuberant personality and top-notch belly dancing skills are worth the wait! Lekha is ready to find “the one,” and while her parent’s marriage was arranged, they are supportive of her journey to find love and happiness in her own way! Her close-knit family has her excited to start a family of her own. She can’t wait to meet Zach and says, ‘I want nothing more than to be a great mom and find my person to share a life with.’
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Rejected Contestant Slams Zach Shallcross as Vanilla ‘Frozen Pizza Dude’