The Bachelor’s Rachael Kirkconnell Apologizes for Past Racist Actions: ‘I Was Wrong’
Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who’s on Matt James’ current season of the ABC reality show, is addressing the backlash over her previous social media posts.
As the episodes have aired, old social media posts of hers have surfaced including one where Kirkconnell is dressed in Native American attire as a costume and attending an antebellum plantation-themed ball. In a statement shared on Instagram Thursday, Kirkconnell admitted that her “ignorance was racist” and that “I was wrong.”
“At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them,” she said. “My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not ok or acceptable in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.” She then apologized “to the communities and individuals that my actions harmed and offended.” Kirkconnell went on to say that she was “ashamed” of her ignorance and hopes to do better in the future.
“I am learning and will continue to learn how to be antiracist, because it’s important to speak up in the moment and not after you’re called out,” she said. “If you are a person who doesn’t understand the offense in question, I urge you to learn from my mistakes and encourage you to use them as a teachable moment.”
Her statement comes just a day after Bachelor host Chris Harrison also apologized for saying that she deserved to be shown “a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” during a conversation with former Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay.
Press Play Below For More: