‘The Bachelor’ Rachel Lindsay Pressured To Choose A Black Man On ‘Bachelorette’?


The Bachelor’s Rachel Lindsay is about to embark on her own journey to find love when The Bachelorette returns to ABC in May. While Lindsay is the first black lead in the history of the franchise, she isn’t about to let race determine her final pick.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Lindsay admitted that she is honored to become the next Bachelorette. Lindsay is looking forward to finding love once production begins, but she’s also aware of the pressure she’s under as the show’s first black star.

“To be the first African-American woman is a beautiful thing,” she explained. “I’m honored and humbled to be the one chosen. Because that’s how I feel: like I was chosen to be in this role.”

“I’m not choosing a man for American,” she added, “I’m choosing a man for me.”

Lindsay made history on The Bachelor when she took home Nick Viall’s first impression rose during the premiere. The civil defense litigation attorney continued her run by making it into Viall’s top three picks. She was sent home last week as Viall heads into the finale.

Filming for the new season of The Bachelorette has not begun. Once production gets underway, Cosmopolitan reports that Lindsay will have the chance to break down another racial barrier if she hands a black man her final rose.

“That is a very common question that I get from black people,” Lindsay explained. “Honestly, I don’t want to go into this process with any preconceived notions or any pressures to do something for somebody else. I hate to sound selfish, but it’s my process.”

“It’s my journey in finding love. And whether that person is black, white, red, whatever – it’s my journey,” she added.

The network announced Lindsay as the new Bachelorette weeks before The Bachelor finale. The news was exciting to hear, but it also spoiled her run to win Viall’s heart. After her appearance during The Bachelor: Women Tell All special, Lindsay revealed that a lot of the other women responded positively to her selection.

“I know there are going to be people who criticize what I do no matter what, but I’m just trying to not get caught up in it,” she stated. “I feel like it was meant to be and that outweighs any fear or pressure that I have in being the first African-American Bachelorette.”

Lindsay hopes that her time on the show will introduce a more diverse cast of suitors this year. She also believes that her season will be a more realistic reflection of what the world really looks like.

The show has been more diverse in recent years. During Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season there were four nonwhite suitors, while JoJo Fletcher’s season had six. There’s no telling how many Lindsay will have, but it will likely be more than previous years.

Although Lindsay sounds thrilled to be a part of the show, Wet Paint is reporting that some fans are skeptical about the network’s decision. In fact, some have accused the show of faking the chemistry between Lindsay and Viall just to put her in a position to become the Bachelorette.

This isn’t the first time the show has been accused of fakery. In his book, For The Right Reasons, Sean Lowe revealed that producers set him up to be an early frontrunner right out of the gate.

Despite all the drama, People reports that former Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher believes Lindsay will do a great job on the show. Given her background as an attorney, Fletcher thinks Lindsay has the right amount of confidence and smarts to pull it off.

The new season of The Bachelorette airs May 22 on ABC.

The Bachelor finale airs Monday night on ABC as well.

[Featured Image by ABC]

Share this article: ‘The Bachelor’ Rachel Lindsay Pressured To Choose A Black Man On ‘Bachelorette’?
More from Inquisitr