ABC
Greer Blitzer, a contestant on the present season of The Bachelor, has as soon as once more apologized for her previous social media posts during which she defended sporting blackface.
The posts in query went viral again in January, after Blitzer had obtained Zach Shallcross’ coveted first impression rose throughout The Bachelor’s season premiere, and it turned simply the newest in a protracted line of racist scandals for the ABC actuality franchise. On the time, the 24-year-old Texas native apologized on Instagram for her insensitive tweets, however addressed them for the primary time on the present throughout Tuesday’s “Ladies Inform All” particular.
After host Jesse Palmer invited Blitzer—who was eradicated from the present throughout week seven—to the new seat, she mentioned, “I’ve been wanting to handle this. I don’t need to sweep it beneath the rug. What occurred was racist. It’s not in regards to the intent; it’s in regards to the affect.”
Blizter’s tweets, which she allegedly despatched in 2016, appeared to be partially in protection of former highschool classmates who had worn blackface. “The scholars concerned didn’t even know what blackface was so my level precisely. It wasn’t an intentional racist act,” she wrote in one of many tweets. One other learn: “This earlier incident was dumb not racist? She didn't paint herself black as a result of she felt superior to black ppl.” One other tweet: “Placing white powder in your face isn’t okay both. That didn’t make the information did it?”
On Tuesday night’s episode, Blitzer defined in entrance of a studio viewers, “This acquaintance of mine that I knew performing blackface was racist, me defending it was racist, my ignorance was racist, and I’m simply so ashamed. ... I’m simply deeply sorry that I damage the Black group. I can’t return in time. All I can do is attempt to be higher now and attempt to do higher in my future.”
As any Bachelor fan sadly is aware of by now, the franchise has been tormented by racism-related controversies lately. Simply final 12 months, The Bachelorette winner Erich Schwer confronted backlash for sporting blackface in a highschool yearbook photograph—a call he apologized for on Instagram, however which was by no means introduced up on the present’s “After the Last Rose” particular.
Earlier than that, the primary Black Bachelor, Matt James, had his 2021 season soured by an argument during which former host Chris Harrison defended a feminine contestant who attended an Antebellum South-themed get together in 2018. The scandal in the end led to Harrison’s ouster from the present.
Notably, throughout Tuesday’s “Ladies Inform All” episode, Charity Lawson was named the subsequent Bachelorette, changing into the fifth Black lead within the franchise’s historical past.