
It was later announced that Harrison would not be hosting the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette,” starring Katie Thurston.

At the time, Harrison stated, “I am dedicated to getting educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before.” When Harrison’s interview with Lindsay blew up this past February, Harrison apologized and announced he would be stepping aside for an undisclosed period, first starting with “After the Final Rose,” which was guest hosted by Emmanuel Acho. (Lindsay has since parted ways with the franchise, opting not to renew her contract to host a “Bachelor” podcast.)Īs the controversy escalated into a media scandal, James and Kirkconnell briefly broke up, speaking about the issue on the finale episode, “After the Final Rose.” Today, James and Kirkconnell are back together and have publicized their relationship on social media and in the press.

Kirkconnell attended an antebellum-themed fraternity party in 2018, while she was a college student, and when the controversial images resurfaced on social media this year, Harrison defended Kirkconnell during an interview with former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay. Harrison has been on the sidelines and embroiled in controversy since February when he made highly criticized comments during an interview about the controversy surrounding “The Bachelor” contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who ended up winning the season with Matt James, the first-ever Black lead of the dating series.
