ABC Rachael Kirkconnell.
Rachael Kirkconnell has just released a statement about racist accusations made against her. You can read her statement below.
Additionally, a source recently revealed that Kirkconnell was “mad” after Bachelor host Chris Harrison spoke out.
“Rachael was not informed that Chris Harrison was going to do the interview that talked about her, and wasn’t aware there’d be an apology issued from him about it. She’s very mad about that, and it’s made things even worse for her. The reaction has gotten so out of hand, she’s overwhelmed and has no idea how to handle this. No one from show production has reached out to help her,” a source told The Sun.
The unnamed source spoke out after Harrison’s interview with Rachel Lindsay on ExtraTV went viral. Harrison has since released an apology after his comments were deemed insensitive and out of touch by several Bachelor fans.
Warning: Bachelor spoilers below.
Here’s what you need to know:
Rachael Kirkconnell Is Said to Still Be Dating Matt James, Though There Are Some Unconfirmed Rumors They Have Split
ABC/Craig SjodinRachael Kirkconnell and Matt James pose on their one-on-one date.
Kirkconnell is supposedly the woman that Matt James ends up choosing on the finale of The Bachelor. According to Reality Steve, the two did not get engaged at the final rose ceremony, however, it was reported that the two were still together post-show.
If you follow any Bachelor fan accounts on social media, you may already see some chatter about a James/Kirkconnell split. While nothing has been confirmed at this time, many are wondering if that news is about to drop.
Matt James has yet to address the Kirkconnell controversy directly, but he is expected to appear on tonight’s episode of Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen, and some are expecting him to be asked about what’s going on. However, if James is under contract, and he’s not permitted to speak out, it’s possible that Andy Cohen won’t even broach the subject.
Rachael Kirkconnell Was Not Previously Allowed to Speak out, According to Multiple Sources
For those wondering why Kirkconnell hadn’t released a statement sooner, various sources have said that ABC was keeping her from doing so.
Reality Steve has been following the controversy closely, and recently shared some interesting intel. He said that Kirkconnell wrote a statement and sent it to producers, but that statement was rejected.
“Here’s the latest: I’ve been told that Rachael’s statement has been rejected by ABC. This has been going on too long for her not to say anything. It’s only gotten worse. Chris said something in 24 hrs. She’s listening to people she shouldn’t be. My opinion is screw them, post the statement, & let them dare say she violated some contract, which she wouldn’t be doing. You can speak for yourself on your own social media accounts. But for whatever reason, they won’t let her and she’s obliging,” Reality Steve tweeted on Thursday.
The Sun’s source also said something similar. This time, however, the source gave a reason why Kirkconnell’s statement was allegedly rejected.
“Rachael wants to speak out about everything that’s being said about her, but ABC won’t let her. They originally said they’ll allow her to release a statement if they approve it first. She wrote a long one and sent it in last week. They rejected it because it didn’t mention key things they wanted her to mention, including Matt James. Rachael wanted the focus to be on her as it’s her past mistakes, and has nothing to do with Matt,” a source told The Sun.
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