Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers for The Bachelor’s Season 27 “Women Tell All,” which aired March 14.
Zach Shallcross’ season of The Bachelor has featured its share of drama on our screens, as the Texas resident searches for his best friend and future wife. But there was also some drama going on behind the scenes, as contestant Greer Blitzer — who received Shallcross’ First Impression Rose on the first night — was embroiled in a blackface scandal. As the cast reunited for the Season 27 “Women Tell All,” the medical sales representative was given the opportunity to discuss the issue.
Back in October, after The Bachelor started filming, a post appeared on Reddit showing deleted Twitter screenshots from years ago of Greer Blitzer defending a friend who had worn blackface. The post started to gain attention when Zach Shallcross’ season started airing in January, and Blitzer then issued an apology on her Instagram Stories. On Tuesday night, she expanded on that apology, calling her words “racist.” She told host Jesse Palmer, the other Season 27 cast members, and the studio audience:
I’ve been wanting to address this. I don’t want to sweep it under the rug. I will say I am nervous right now to talk about it, but I really do want to address it. What I failed to mention in my apology was that what happened was racist. It’s not about the intent, it’s about the impact. And this acquaintance of mine that I knew performing blackface was racist, me defending it was racist, my ignorance was racist, and I’m just so ashamed. I’m just deeply sorry that I hurt the Black community. I can’t go back in time, all I can do is try to be better now and try to do better in my future.
Her initial apology also addressed the Black community, but failed to label her or the student’s actions as racist. On her Instagram Stories in January, she wrote (via People):
The journey to love is filled with lessons and these lessons are also made on our journey of growth. In my past, I have made some uneducated, ignorant and frankly, wrong comments on my social media accounts. In particular, I used misguided arguments on Twitter to defend a student who dressed in Blackface as Tupac for Halloween. I am deeply sorry to those I have hurt, especially those within the Black community, not because these screenshots have resurfaced, but because I ever shared these harmful opinions at all. Time and age do not excuse my actions, but this is not a reflection of who I am today.
This was the second season in a row for the Bachelor franchise that featured a contestant in a blackface scandal. In Season 19 of The Bachelorette, old yearbook photos emerged of Gabby Windey’s final suitor Erich Schwer wearing blackface while dressed as Jimi Hendrix. Schwer also issued a social media apology, but his scandal was not addressed on the “After the Final Rose” special. Jesse Palmer seemed to allude to that ahead of speaking with Greer Blitzer on Tuesday, as he said:
The truth is, as a franchise we’ve done a very poor job in the past of addressing serious topics head-on, and we’re not gonna miss that opportunity here tonight.
The Bachelor has long been criticized for the lack of diversity in its casts and has faced a number of racism scandals, including one involving the first Black Bachelor, Matt James, and his final rose-getter Rachael Kirkconnell. Then-host Chris Harrison’s defense of Kirkconnell in an interview with Rachel Lindsay — the franchise’s first Black lead — ultimately led to his parting ways with ABC.
The Bachelor will return to ABC next Monday, March 20, at 8 p.m. ET for Fantasy Suites. In the meantime, check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering.
