‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Ellen Pompeo Defends Kelly Ripa Against ‘Bachelor’ Backlash

The debate at ABC television over The Bachelor franchise now has a new player in Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo, who tweeted support for Kelly Ripa after the Live with Kelly & Ryan star shared her opinion about the franchise — an opinion that angered some of the show’s fans, as well as its stars.

Ripa’s comments about The Bachelor, made on her daytime talk show, ignited a Twitter feud with Mike Fleiss, the creator of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise.

The conflict came about after Ripa took the franchise to task during the May 14 episode of her show, when she said that the series disgusted her.

“You know how I feel about this show? It disgusts me. And I thought that I was disgusted because I couldn’t stand the idea of 25 exceptional women fighting over one ordinary fella, in my opinion. You know how we feel ladies! We are too special to be arguing over a guy,” Ripa said.

Fleiss threw his hat into the ring of a Twitter war with Ripa when tweeted to her that The Bachelor franchise “pays your salary.”

Easy, @KellyRipa … #TheBachelor franchise pays your salary!

— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) May 15, 2019

Also chiming in was Chris Harrison, the host of the franchise, who told fans of the series that “Kelly Ripa is coming after you and your ‘disgusting’ Monday night habit.”

Ellen Pompeo defended Ripa’s comments on the series, and put ABC on blast, reminding them that The Bachelor “does NOT” pay Ripa’s salary. She also added her own “savage” thoughts on the series.

Current Bachelorette star Hannah Brown faced Ripa during an appearance on the May 16 episode of the morning talk show, explaining that while she had not watched the show at first, she feels that leading the series has “empowered” her. Ripa noted that Brown seemed like “a lovely girl.”

Brown called the journey she has been on a “positive” one. She also noted to Ripa that the grand scope of the show is not women fighting against one another for the heart of one man, despite how it may come across on television.

Brown also noted that some of her “best friends” came from her experience on both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and says that the women in her life are really supportive of one another.

Brown also quipped that when you put all different kinds of people together in one house — people who do not know each other — there are naturally going to be conflicts.

The Bachelorette airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. EST.