Bachelor host Chris Harrison's Crest teeth whitening commercials are 'being reconsidered' after he backed a contestant who att...
Bachelor host Chris Harrison's Crest teeth whitening commercials are 'being reconsidered' after he backed a contestant who attended a plantation-themed ball.
Harrison, 49, was forced to step aside from the ABC show after coming under fire for comments he made in an interview with first black Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay about the racially insensitive past behavior of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.
A spokesman for Crest parent company Procter & Gamble told AdAge: 'We are aware of the developments around Chris Harrison and his role as host of The Bachelor.'
They added: 'We are in the process of gathering more information about these circumstances to determine our next steps. We are deeply disappointed in his comments, which do not reflect our values.'
Harrison was due to star in an upcoming advert - set to air next month - for Crest Whitening Emulsions.
That was a follow up to a commercial he did with the brand last year.
Harrison wrote on his Twitter page then: 'My job isn’t as easy as you might think… then again neither is love, but it always brings a smile! Sponsored by @Crest3DWhitestrips. #FallInLoveWithYourSmile #ad.'
Bachelor host Chris Harrison's Crest teeth whitening commercials are 'being reconsidered' after he backed a contestant who attended a plantation-themed ball
Harrison was due to star in an upcoming advertising - set to air next month - for Crest Whitening Emulsions. That was a follow up to a commercial he did with the brand last year
In a statement posted Saturday, Harrison apologized again for defending the actions of Kirkconnell after photos resurfaced in which she is dressed in costume as a Native American and at an antebellum plantation themed ball.
'By excusing historical racism, I defended it,' he wrote.
In the interview, Harrison defended Kirkconnell against what he called the 'woke police' on social media. 'We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion,' he said in the interview.
Harrison, 49, was forced to step aside from the hit ABC show after coming under fire for comments he made in an interview with first black Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay about racially insensitive past behavior from current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, pictured
In a statement posted Saturday, Harrison apologized again for defending the actions of Kirkconnell after photos resurfaced in which she is dressed in costume as a Native American and at an antebellum plantation themed ball, pictured
Harrison apologized on Saturday, saying 'my ignorance did damage' and he was 'ashamed over how uninformed I was.'
He said he is stepping aside from his TV show 'for a period of time' and will not be hosting the 'After the Final Rose' special that will follow the season finale of 'The Bachelor.'
Kirkconnell later issued an apology for what she calls her past 'racist and offensive' actions.
Harrison's girlfriend Lauren Zima, 33, posted a short message to her Instagram stories on Saturday night in which she said that Harrison's actions were 'wrong and disappointing'.
'Defending racism can never happen,' she added.
The Entertainment Tonight host appeared to agree with Harrison's decision to step aside as she wrote: 'Accountability comes first, what's next is learning and growth'.
Rachel Lindsay was the former Bachelorette and now a correspondent for Extra who had interviewed Harrison when he made the controversial comments.
She said Tuesday: 'The apology came after the fact. So it's hard for me to fully accept it. I'm going to need that time and space and compassion that he referenced to really accept the apology, because [Chris wasn’t] apologetic at first… I’m not saying I can’t get there, it’s just, initially, it’s a little tough for me.'
Harrison wrote on his Twitter page then: 'My job isn’t as easy as you might think… then again neither is love, but it always brings a smile! Sponsored by @Crest3DWhitestrips. #FallInLoveWithYourSmile #ad.'
Harrison apologized on Saturday, saying 'my ignorance did damage' and he was 'ashamed over how uninformed I was'
He said he is stepping aside from his TV show 'for a period of time' and will not be hosting the 'After the Final Rose' special that will follow the season finale of 'The Bachelor'
Lindsay added she thinks it was the 'right decision' for Harrison to step away, adding, 'he needs to take time to get educated and on a profound and productive level to use his word.'
'And I think he needs to understand what was done, what was wrong, and what he said in that interview, and he needs time. He's stepped away to do that. As a franchise, though, where do you go from here when…?' she added.
A number of black alums of Bachelor Nation shows have also spoken out on the issue.
DeMario Jackson from season 13 and Jubilee Sharpe from season 20 were among the reality stars who spoke with TMZ, saying that Harrison's break from the show should be a permanent one.
'I don't really think he should be allowed to return but it's not up to me,' Jackson said, as he slammed it as an 'all-white' show.
'My season was one of the most visible black seasons as far as the representation by African American males and women.'
Sharpe said that the show's producers seemed to be more attentive to white contestants in her time on the show.
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