ABC "The Bachelor" Zach Shallcross poses with his bachelorettes.
“The Bachelor” star Zach Shallcross has suggested that his season will not be as jam-packed with drama as viewers have seen in other, recent seasons. However, the January 25 premiere had barely finished airing before one bachelorette from Shallcross’ cast took to social media to issue an apology for something. Greer Blitzer got Shallcross’ first impression rose, and she seemed off to a great start in potentially receiving his final rose too. However, some social media posts from her past have caused generated raised eyebrows off-screen. Long-term franchise fans know this is not the first time similar issues have popped up with a frontrunner contestant.
Here’s what you need to know:
Greer Blitzer Was Involved in a Controversial Situation in High School
According to The Sun, now-deleted social media posts on Blitzer’s account raised eyebrows among some “Bachelor Nation” fans. There were a number of posts that franchise fans noticed, and many of which were tied to a photo that emerged in 2016. As KPRC detailed, a weekend party involving students from Lamar High School included one girl who wore blackface and a Tupac T-shirt. The girl involved appeared to be white, and reports indicate she was a sophomore urged by older students to wear the ensemble for an initiation. The party was put on by a group called Wichaka, a secret social club.
A Snapchat screenshot showing the student in her ensemble spread among other students and online, causing a fair amount of controversy. The photo offended some people who felt it was inappropriate for the student to have added black paint to her face. Others insisted people misinterpreted the photo and believed the student had not intended to offend anybody. Now-deleted tweets show “The Bachelor” contestant fell into the latter group. Screenshots of tweets were captured and shared in “The Bachelor” Reddit sub some time ago, and they showcased Blitzer’s involvement in the incident at the time it happened.
“The students involved didn’t even know what black face was… It wasn’t an intentional racist act,” read one of Blitzer’s tweets. Another read, “I apologize if this offended you but you must understand it was not initially supposed to be perceived that way at all.” Additional social media posts shared on Reddit showed Blitzer rooting for and celebrating former President Donald Trump during the 2016 election.
Blitzer’s Apology Received a Fair Amount of Criticism
While Blitzer’s previous social media posts were shared on Reddit several months ago, it wasn’t until “The Bachelor” premiere night that she addressed them. In a now-expired Instagram story, Blitzer wrote, “The journey to love is filled with lessons and these lessons are also made on our journey of growth. In my past, I have made some uneducated, ignorant and frankly, wrong, comments on my social media accounts.” She referred to the 2016 blackface incident, and shared, “I am deeply sorry to those I have hurt, especially those within the Black community, not because these screenshots have resurfaced, but because I ever shared those harmful opinions at all.” “The Bachelor” contestant insisted those tweets do not reflect who she is now, but acknowledged, “Time and age do not excuse my actions.” Blitzer added she will “forever regret making those offensive remarks.”
It did not take long after Blitzer posted her Instagram story apology for “Bachelor” fans to share their feedback on social media and Reddit. As several noted, the situation with Blitzer echoes that of previous issues with Rachael Kirkconnell, who won Matt James’ season, as well as Erich Schwer, who earned Gabby Windey’s final rose last season on “The Bachelorette.”
“This story is SO CONSISTENT. Every damn season. This show is less about love and drama and more about wondering who will inevitably be exposed for racism,” noted one Redditor.
“It’s only been one episode and we already have someone apologizing. Episode 1 like what??!? But damn same story diff season,” concurred another.
“It’s always frustrating when people refuse to use the word racist. What she did was excuse racism,” added someone else.