- Matt James picked Rachael Kirkconnell during the finale of "The Bachelor" on Monday night.
- Kirkconnell was at the center of the franchise's off-screen drama throughout the season.
- Photos emerged of Kirkconnell at a plantation-themed party, which James called "incredibly disappointing."
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Matt James' historic yet controversial season of "The Bachelor" has finally come to an end.
Rachael Kirkconnell — the contestant who was at the center of the series' off-screen drama — was selected as James' winner. James, the first Black "Bachelor" lead in the franchise's 19-year history, gave Kirkconnell his final rose on Monday night's episode.
Although he didn't actually propose, James told Kirkconnell during the finale episode, "I see you as my wife. I see you as the mother of my kids."
While James' strong feelings for Kirkconnell were clear throughout the season, the months that have followed since filming have brought plenty of complications after photos of her at a plantation-themed party emerged on social media.
Rumors about Rachael Kirkconnell began swirling almost immediately after James' season began
The 24-year-old graphic designer from Georgia, described as a "southern sweetheart" in her official "Bachelor" bio, first made headlines when a TikTok user accused Kirkconnell of bullying her for dating Black men. Another TikTok user also accused her of liking racist photos.
On February 2, James released a statement defending Kirkconnell, leading many to believe that she would make it to the finale.
"I have not spoken to anybody since the show ended, but I would say that you have to be really careful about what you are doing on social media," James told Entertainment Tonight at the time. "Rumors are dark and nasty and can ruin people's lives. So I would give people the benefit of the doubt, and hopefully she will have her time to speak on that."
—Rosé (@TeaAndRoses21) February 4, 2021
But just a day later, photos emerged of Kirkconnell at a plantation-themed frat party in 2018. Pictures showed Kirkconnell wearing an antebellum-style plantation dress at a Kappa Alpha-hosted "Old South" party while she was a student at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville.
Chris Harrison then gave a controversial interview, defending Kirkconnell to former 'Bachelorette' star Rachel Lindsay
Harrison was among Kirkconnell's loudest defenders, saying the "woke police" was out to get her during a 13-minute interview with Rachel Lindsay on Extra.
"And again, I'm not defending Rachael. I just know that, I don't know, 50 million people did that in 2018. That was a type of party that a lot of people went to," he added. "We are not looking under the same lens."
After a lot of backlash, which included a Change.org petition, Harrison apologized the next day, saying he realized he had caused "harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism."
Kirkconnell followed suit, finally releasing a statement of her own to address the ongoing controversy.
"At one point, I didn't recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn't excuse them," Kirkconnell wrote in her apology, which she posted to Instagram. "My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not OK or acceptable in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist."
But the damage from Harrison's interview was done.
That same week, more than 30 contestants on James' season of "The Bachelor" posted a joint statement on their Instagram accounts condemning his remarks and advocating for change in the franchise.
On February 13, Harrison announced he was taking a step back from the 'Bachelor' franchise
Shortly after his interview went viral, Harrison apologized and later announced that he was taking a step back from the franchise.
"This historic season of 'The Bachelor' should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions," he added, revealing he would not join for the "After the Final Rose" special at the end of James' season and was dedicated to "getting educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before."
On February 22, James released another statement, calling Kirkconnell's photos and Harrison's interview "incredibly disappointing." The "Bachelor" star said the recent events had been "devastating and heartbreaking."
A post shared by Matt James (@mattjames919)
ABC announced Harrison wouldn't host 'The Bachelorette,' being replaced by former leads instead
Harrison's future in the "Bachelor" franchise remains unclear.
Monday night's "After the Final Rose" special was hosted by Emmanuel Acho, a former NFL football player who wrote the New York Times' bestseller "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man."
ABC also announced on Friday that former "Bachelorette" stars Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe would host the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette" instead of Harrison.
Adams revealed in an Instagram Story that she had spoken with Harrison, who she said was "so kind and congratulated me for being a part of the next season."
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