Why Rachel Lindsay Thinks "Toxic" Bachelor Fans Will Be the "Demise of the Show"

Rachel Lindsay called out "nasty" and "vile" Bachelor fans for attacking Matt James, after he revealed his breakup with Rachael Kirkconnell. See why Rachel warned fans about the repercussions.

By Lindsay Weinberg Mar 19, 2021 11:08 PMTags

Rachel Lindsay doesn't think disgraced Bachelor host Chris Harrison will be the reason the dating show goes down in flames. Nor does she think it will be controversial contestants with troublesome pasts. 

No, the former Bachelorette star revealed this week that she predicts the franchise's "very toxic" fanbase will be the final nail in The Bachelor coffin.

Rachel slammed "vile" fans and gave viewers a stern warning during her Higher Learning podcast on Friday, March 19.

"It's wild out there, y'all. It's so toxic. Bachelor Nation, y'all are gonna be the reason this show doesn't exist anymore ‘cause you're so damn toxic," she said while speaking with co-host Van Lathan. "You're gonna be the demise of the show and the reason it's taken down." 

Rachel called them out for how they've been targeting Bachelor hunk Matt James after he broke up with finalist Rachael Kirkconnell, following the scandal regarding her 2018 Old South photos. She claimed of a group of Facebook users, "All they did was bash Matt."

photos
Bachelor Nation Reacts to Chris Harrison Controversy

Rachel said on the podcast, "You're nasty, you're vile, you're harassing Matt for a decision that he made. He supports the girl, he's allowing her to do it on her own. Let's move on."

Earlier in the talk, she said she continues to be vocal and call things out on The Bachelor but isn't hopeful, noting, "Is it where it needs to be? No. And honestly it probably never will." 

Greg Doherty/Getty Images

The 35-year-old lawyer has received an avalanche of hateful messages as well, forcing her to de-activate her Instagram account last month.

In February, Van confirmed Rachel had to leave the site because Bachelor Nation fans kept "spamming her with all kinds of rude, hateful things to say." Viewers targeted her in part because her interview with Chris—during which he made comments that he later admitted were "excusing historical racism"—led him to step down from the show.

When Rachel finally returned to Instagram, she shared an uplifting message to cut through the negativity: "I want to be like a sunflower so that even on the darkest days I will stand tall and find the sunlight." 

After the finale aired this week, Matt told After the Final Rose host Emmanuel Acho that Rachael Kirkconnell needs to work on herself first and foremost now that they're separated.

NBC; ABC

He gave more insight into his decision when speaking to Good Morning America's Michael Strahan. Matt reflected, "I felt the weight of everything that I was carrying throughout the season and with what we were dealing with as a country and having to explain that, why I think it's problematic to me and our relationship, which was extremely difficult."

On the Higher Learning podcast, his brother, John the Scorpio, provided an update on how Matt has been taking the fame and backlash, saying, "He's in a good spot" at the moment.

Matt's ex, Rachael, has also defended the star against abusive comments this week. She wrote on her Instagram Story on March 17, "I am taken aback by what I've seen tonight. If you think that attacking a person I care about with racist insults is what I would ever want, you haven't been listening."

Instagram

The graphic designer continued, "Some of the things I've seen being said to and about Matt are repulsive. I respect the decisions that Matt has had to make during this experience. If you are directing hate towards him, please stop. Recognize someone's humanity and think about the impact your words have."

Rachael previously apologized for attending the plantation-themed party, saying she didn't recognize "how offensive and racist" her actions were at the time. "But that doesn't excuse them. My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or okay in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist," she wrote.