Rachel Lindsay is threatening to cut ties with ABC's "The Bachelor" franchise if it does not address its lack of racial diversity. The 35-year-old made headlines in 2017 as the first black "Bachelorette," but since then, no other person of color has led a season of the show. Lindsay called the franchise out in a virtual interview with "AfterBuzz."
"In 40 seasons, ["The Bachelor"] had one black lead," she said, adding that, of all the presidents of America, only one was black.
"You are almost on par to say you're more likely to become the president of the United States than you are a black lead in this franchise. That's insane. That's ridiculous."
Lindsay has remained involved with "The Bachelor" nation and recently appeared in a spin-off reality TV series, "Listen to Your Heart," but now she is willing to walk away if things don't change.
"It's been asked of me: 'Will I continue in this franchise if it continues in this way?'" Lindsay said. "I can't. I have to see some type of change. It's ridiculous. It's embarrassing. At this point, it's embarrassing to be affiliated with it."
Looking ahead, Lindsay said she was hoping Mike Johnson, who appeared in Hannah Brown's season of "The Bachelorette," would feature as the lead. The two were very close and, if given the chance, Lindsay said she thought he would be willing to get involved with the franchise again.
"I would be thrilled if [Johnson] was the bachelor," she said. "I think a lot of people would, there was such a huge movement to make him the bachelor last season. I gave a whole spiel when I found out he wasn't. If it's him, everybody knows where I stand!"