Skydiving date ends in terrifying crash landing on 'The Bachelor'
On The Bachelor, this season's most controversial contestant, Rachael Kirkconnell, was involved in a terrible crash landing during her skydiving date with Matt James.
While Kirkconnell's accident was terrifying, due to the controversy surrounding the contestant after photos of her attending an Old South Antebellum-themed party surfaced, as well as multiple allegations that she bullied girls in high school for dating Black men, Bachelor Nation didn't have much sympathy for Rachael following her accident, as many have already decided how they feel about her.
Following Kirkconnell's alleged history of racism going viral, things got even messier for the Bachelor franchise, when host Chris Harrison sat down for an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, the franchise's first Black lead, where he defended Kirkconnell. Harrison's statements were not taken well by Lindsay or viewers and, ultimately, the longtime host decided to temporarily step aside from The Bachelor.
During Monday's episode, James shared that it was seeing Kirkconnell get hurt that made him realize he was falling in love with her. However, just before the airing, James took to Instagram to address the alleged racism and controversy surrounding both Kirkconnell and Harrison, including Kirkconnell's "incredibly disappointing photos."
James wrote: "Chris's failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch."
Fortunately, Kirkconnell did not suffer any serious injuries. It is currently unknown whether or not the contestant receives James's final rose, but she is one of the final three women heading into fantasy suites next week.
