The executive producers of ABC’s “The Bachelor” are formally addressing diversity concerns that have been raised by fans and stars of the franchise in recent weeks.
“We are excited to move forward with both Matt James as the new Bachelor and Clare Crawley as our next Bachelorette. We acknowledge our responsibility for the lack of representation of people of color on our franchise and pledge to make significant changes to address this issue moving forward. We are taking positive steps to expand diversity in our cast, in our staff, and most importantly, in the relationships that we show on television. We can and will do better to reflect the world around us and show all of its beautiful love stories,” reads a statement from executive producers on BachelorNation.com.
The statement comes the day the series cast its first black Bachelor, Matt James.
It also comes amid global protests for the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police, and a statement earlier this week from the franchise’s first and only black Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay, vowing to quit the franchise if it didn’t take a hard look at its “systemic racism.” That was followed by an online petition demanding ABC to cast its first Black Bachelor, which the network obliged Friday.