Bachelor alum Lindsay Smith once claimed she was hired as ‘token black woman for entertainment’ and felt ‘disgusted’
BACHELOR alum Lindsay Smith once claimed she was hired as the “token black woman” to provide “entertainment”.
The reality star alleged in a 2017 essay that she was treated as someone to “jeer at” when she appeared on season 10 of the ABC show in 2007.
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Lindsay claimed producers “never took her seriously” as a candidate – despite her repeatedly saying she didn’t want to be a token minority contestant during the audition process.
She joined Andy Baldwin’s season as a “green and naive” 21-year-old, she claimed in a first person piece for Vox in 2017.
The reality star, who is now a public defender in Arizona, claimed producers stirred up false drama between her and fellow contestant Blakeney Rowe in order to paint her as an “angry black woman”.
“I knew it was a bad sign that I was the only black contestant in my season of The Bachelor,” Lindsay wrote.
She went on: “Anxiety caused me to drink. I was eliminated in the first round.
“My takeaway: I was there to serve as the token black woman for entertainment purposes – and was never taken seriously as a candidate.
“What I did not expect was being manipulated by producers in pursuit of dramatic television.”
Lindsay also shared the truth about a row she had with Blakeney in the first episode.
“Here’s what the audience saw on the one and only episode in which I appeared: an irrational angry black woman who went off on another contestant for calling her a b***h behind her back,” she said.
“Here’s what really happened: The other contestant had not, in fact, called me a b***h.
“The producers had told me that, presumably to get an emotional reaction out of me. I was offered, and drank, copious amounts of alcohol – which only made that emotional reaction worse.”
Lindsay revealed she and Blakeney later made up – once she realized the claims were fake – in a scene that was never aired.
She added: “As the night went on, it became more and more clear to me that the producers were intentionally creating an environment where I would feel uncomfortable due to my race.
“I left the series disgusted. When the show aired, I remember watching myself within the contours of a highly edited storyline – reduced to the stereotype of a hysterical woman. It was a jarring and shameful experience.
“Black people were rarely portrayed as complex, multidimensional people. We were there for people to point at, laugh at, cheer, or jeer.”
Lindsay claimed it didn’t help that the producers she dealt with were not people of color, or that some of the contestants made racially insensitive remarks to her.
She recalled: “I remember one of the white women questioning me about my racial identity, asking, “Why do you call yourself black when you’re half white.”
The Sun has contacted a rep for The Bachelor for comment. Lindsay’s story comes amid the racism scandal shrouding the current season of The Bachelor.
Contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, 24, has been facing backlash after resurfaced photos from 2018 show her attending an Antebellum-themed party.
After being labeled “racist” by fans, she apologized for her “offensive” actions in a lengthy Instagram statement.
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She then filmed a tense eight-minute Instagram clip and admitted she was “tired” of “not saying anything” through the ongoing outrage.
Rachael added: “If you are in my comments or anywhere defending me or telling people that I did nothing wrong or that there is nothing to be hurt or offended about, please stop.”
Meanwhile, Chris Harrison sparked outrage after defending Rachael’s “racist” actions and controversial social media posts.
The longtime host said “it was a mistake” to defend Kirkconnell‘s “old south” photo and said he is an “imperfect man” in a GMA interview.