Another season of The Bachelor kicked off by controversy.
We’re just days away from the premiere of season 23 of ABC‘s rose-filled reality TV show, but the drama has already begun.
Shortly after the female contestants were revealed, one of ’em — a wardrobe stylist named Tracy Shapoff — came under fire for old offensive tweets of hers that resurfaced online.
Related: Arie SLAMS Former ‘Bachelorette’ Contestant Jef Holm For Shady 1-Yr Old Tweet
The 32-year-old’s tweets included racists remarks, use of the r-word, fat shaming and even mocking former contestants who competed on the show before her. Shapoff has since apologized, and you can read her lengthy apology here.
Wasting no time, Colton made it clear he doesn’t feel the same way as the contestant, telling reporters in a conference call on Thursday:
“I don’t believe in whatever Tracy liked and tweeted at the time. [But] I think that’s a growing thing.”
The 26-year-old virgin couldn’t be more spot on, as this isn’t the first time the franchise has been rocked by social media scandals.
Remember when The Bachelorette‘s Garrett Yriyogen came under fire for liking those offensive memes mocking the Parkland High School shooting victims? Or when those seriously disgusting, racist tweets from Lee Garrett were exposed on Rachel Lindsay‘s season of The Bachelorette?
Underwood seems to understand that even as the show’s lead, you don’t always get the full picture at first because everyone is putting their best foot forward:
“As the Bachelor, it’s a good opportunity for me to get to really know these women and form my own opinions of them without really seeing that. That is a gift and a curse at times.”
It sure does sound like a curse! We’re sure most people would want to know if their potential significant other is a closeted racist before putting a ring on it, too.
Anyway, the former NFL star continues:
“As far as the process goes, you know, social media is becoming a challenge for every workplace. You’re seeing it all over the world and in our society coming up, and everybody has differences in this world and like I said, but the bottom line is [the Bachelor changing their casting process is] not up to me. That’s not my department or anything I need to have an opinion in.”
Let’s hope for the sake of the show, that producers can do a better job vetting contestants in the future! Or will there be another scandal in the near future??
Catch Colton’s debut as The Bachelor during its three-hour long premiere on Monday, January 7th at 8 p.m. on ABC.
[Image via Sheri Determan/WENN/BachelorABC/Instagram]
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