The Bachelor star Rachael Kirkconnell speaks about offensive past

Rachael Kirkconnell

For the first time since a series of offensive photos and past actions hit the internet, The Bachelorette star Rachael Kirkconnell is getting in front of a camera. The contestant (and potentially winner) of Matt James’ season had previously posted a written apology for her past conduct, but last night took further accountability in a new post on Instagram.

As you can see below, Rachael admits to her past actions, promises to be better, and tries to use her platform to both amplify Black voices and help her white audience understand their own privilege. She also posted a number of resources within her Instagram Stories for followers to check out.

Will this quiet the controversy around her? It’s a hard question to answer, and honestly not one we’re even qualified to answer as an individual. It comes down most to those she has hurt. She has gone further now than host Chris Harrison, who posted two written apologies but has otherwise been off-camera since downplaying some of Rachael’s past in an interview with Extra. This situation in a way feels similar to how former lead Hannah Brown handled her own controversy in the past. Rachael’s future will come down to actions more so than words, and whether she continues to show support and work to earn forgiveness after these headlines quiet down.

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Rachael may have chosen to record this video to ensure her perspective was heard; it remains to be seen how the Bachelor franchise will handle the end of this season — if she does get the final rose, she will be at that special following the finale. It’s unclear if After the Final Rose will address this, as there is a certain subset of the audience that is not even familiar with Rachael’s past, including the photo of herself at a racist plantation party.

Related – Preview further the Women Tell All Special

What do you think about Rachael Kirkconnell’s latest response to her past?

Be sure to share right now in the attached comments! Once you do that, stick around for some other news pertaining to the show. (Photo: ABC.)

This article was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.

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