'I’m not hopeful': Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay says she doesn’t think there will EVER be another black Bachelor after Mike Johnson was passed over for the upcoming season
- Rachel, 34, was on The Bachelorette in 2017 and was its first black leading lady
- The franchise has yet to cast another black male or female to lead the show
- She clapped back at ABC after it decided to pick Peter Weber instead of Mike Johnson for the next Bachelor star
- 'After what happened with Mike, I’m not hopeful at all,' Rachel said about the show casting another black lead in the near future
- Mike previously said he was disappointed by the decision and thought it was time for the franchise to cast more diversity in its show
Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay has spoken out again against the Bachelor franchise following its decision to not cast a black lead for the upcoming season.
The 34-year-old attorney visited with Us Weekly this week with her husband, Bryan Abasolo, to discuss the recent decision made by ABC when casting its next Bachelor. When asked if she thought there would be another black lead in the future for the reality show, Rachel remained discouraged.
'After what happened with Mike, I’m not hopeful at all,' Rachel, who was the first and only black lead for the franchise, said.
Not hopeful: Rachel Lindsay, 34, (pictured with husband Bryan Abasolo) was on The Bachelorette in 2017 and was its first black leading lady
Frustrated: She clapped back at ABC after it decided to pick Peter Weber instead of Mike Johnson for the next Bachelor star
Wrong decision? ABC announced in September that Peter (right) would be the newest Bachelor over Mike (left), which sparked some controversy
'That’s why I keep talking about it because maybe it’ll start the conversation and maybe it’ll change,' she added.
Mike Johnson, 31, appeared on Hannah Brown's Bachelorette season and was briefly rumored to be the next Bachelor for the reality show.
This decision would've been groundbreaking for the series, as the show has yet to have a black Bachelor represent the cast.
But ABC picked pilot Peter Weber, 28 — who also appeared on Hannah's season — to instead take his chance on finding the love of his life.
'If Mike can’t get it, what’s the reason?' Lindsay asked. She went on to list other black female contestants who were on the show recently but lost out on the chance to be Bachelorette after ABC picked Hannah.
'Even after me, you’ve had Sienne, you’ve had Tayshia. Not that Hannah B. was bad. But she was number nine. Tayshia was number three [of Colton Underwood’s contestants],' she said, adding: 'Usually the system picks one of the top four, why not? Before, the excuse would be, "No one is making it far enough." Now they are. So now what?'
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The one and only: The franchise has yet to cast another black male or female to lead the show. Rachel was its first and only black lead in 2017
Frustrated: 'After what happened with Mike, I’m not hopeful at all,' Rachel said about the show casting another black lead in the near future
Bryan also spoke about the decision and hoped the reality show would be able to amend its decision next year after Peter's season.
'I hope next year, the 25th Bachelor anniversary, they go back and choose Mike. If not, there’s another great candidate,' Bryan said.
When the news was first announced last month, Rachel also spoke out against the decision.
She told Entertainment Tonight that while Peter might seem 'lovely' and 'a very nice guy', he was too cookie-cutter and someone audience members have seen many times before.
'This is absolutely nothing against him, but how many Peters have we seen before? What season are we on? 24. So, we've seen 24 Peters,' Rachel said. 'I'm bored. And it's nothing personal against him.'
Rachel went on to state she believed Mike 'checked all the boxes' for the reality show. Yet he was not picked as the newest Bachelor.
'We need to change the system,' she said. 'Something has to be done. Break the rules, step outside the box, give the people what they want.'
The decision shocked Rachel, so she felt it was her obligation to speak against the decision and make her voice heard.
'For the first time, I was very confident that we were going to see our first black Bachelor,' she said. 'And so if no one else is going to speak on it, then I guess it's my duty to say it.'
Drama: Mike was briefly rumored to be the new Bachelor. He also recently spoke out against ABC following the decision to choose Peter instead
Run of the mill: In an interview, Mike said he supported Peter in his new journey but thought it was time for a black Bachelor to get cast for the reality show
Mike also expressed shock by the decision because he believed he had a shot at becoming the next Bachelor.
'After 24 Bachelors, a black Bachelor should have been cast,' Mike told Entertainment Tonight last month after ABC chose another white Bachelor.
He added: 'But at the same time, ABC has been successful. They know what they’re doing for their audience. They know what they’re looking for. I wasn’t the guy they were looking for at the moment.'
The reality show did not explain to Mike why they picked Peter over him.
But Mike told the publication that he had a hunch as to possibly why the show went in the direction it's often gone in the past when casting.
'I do know that Peter and I are two completely different people — both good people, kind-hearted people,' Mike said.
'But I do feel that I’m a bit more outspoken than Peter. I’m a bit louder than Peter is. I have tattoos, and the obvious, I’m black, so we are very diverse and different in that regard as well.
'And we like different women. I want to make sure the focus is centered around love because that’s what this show is about. Peter and I also are attracted to two different types of women.'
The franchise has not addressed any of the current backlash for choosing to cast Peter over Mike.
