Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for iHeartMedia Taylor Nolan.
Taylor Nolan has been a vocal member of Bachelor Nation holding others accountable amidst recent controversies surrounding racism. Now, she is the one addressing allegations.
Throughout Sunday, old tweets and Facebook posts from 2011 through 2014 surfaced on Reddit. In the posts, the Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise star mocks African, Asian and Indian communities, uses homophobic and ableist slurs and shares comments on “ugly” and “slutty” people.
She has since issued two statements.
In a video on Instagram, which she later admitted came after seeing only posts about race, she directed her statement at only communities of color. She explained how her own internalized racism from white supremacy caused her to perpetuate those views to create a “false sense of safety.”
“I’m not going to come on here and be like, ‘I’m going to do better.’ I’ve been doing better,” she said.
She added, “I kept those tweets there. I did not delete those tweets there because those tweets were a part of my truth. And I’m not going to hide from that. That’s a part of my truth then and in 10 years, I am here now.”
Her response drew mixed reviews, such as the critique from fellow Bachelor Nation alum Bekah Martinez writing in her Instagram Story who said “the things you said went far beyond centering whiteness… they centered bigotry and hatefulness.”
In a second statement posted to her account, she wrote, “At the time of the video I only had seen the tweets towards BIPOC communities but obviously have hurt many outside of that. Close to every marginalized group, honestly!”
Nolan claimed the posts were surfaced by people who opposed “the work I do today for all those communities who were hurt by my tweets” and were in an “attempt to invalidate and distract from that work being done.”
“You have every right to be upset at me to feel shocked and disappointed in me, please know that I know that there is valid space for that,” she directed at those affected by her posts. “I know I’ve hurt every group out there, from LGBTQ to disabled community to black, to Asian people, the list goes on! None of the things I said were okay. Period.”
She ended her statement, calling herself a “student” who is “dedicated to this work and I hope my work will allow forgiveness and acceptance of my change on your part. I will have more in the future, per usual! I just need some space.”
Bachelor Nation Stars Denounced her Statements
I am so horrified and utterly disappointed as I read Taylor’s tweets. I don’t stand for racism, homophobia, fatphobia, or hatred in any sense. Accountability applies to all – and I need her to denounce this language and fast.
Martinez was not alone when condemning the statements Nolan posted. She and others called for accountability, noting its importance even when among friends.
Describing herself as “horrified and disgusted” by the tweets, former Bachelor contestant Ashley Spivey wrote in her Instagram Story, “The Taylor I’ve known for the past couple of years has not only shown growth and a willingness to be an advocate. Accountability would be applied to anyone in this situation whether they were a friend, family member, colleague, etc.”
Former Bachelor contestants Olivia Caridi, Onyeka Ehie and well-known fan, Brett Vergara, also called out her behavior.
Click Bait co-host, Natasha Parker, hinted the tweets will be discussed on the next episode of their podcast.
Nolan Has Called for Chris Harrison’s Removal as Host
Nolan claimed the tweets were in opposition to how vocal she has been about racism and politics within The Bachelor franchise.
Most recently, she has actively engaged in conversations about embattled contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s self-described racist behavior and host Chris Harrison’s defense of it in an Extra interview.
Both Kirkconnell and Harrison have apologized, with the latter temporarily stepping down as host.
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