Rachel Lindsay has called out New York Magazine for a cover story on The Bachelor franchise she said misrepresented her words with a “clickbait headline.”
The first-person essay was published online Monday with the front-page headline “Oops, I Blew Up The Bachelor.” In a statement on Instagram later in the day, Lindsay described the headline as “disappointing and disrespectful.”
“I worked with New York Magazine very closely on a cover feature where I was given the opportunity to tell my story and share my experience with The Bachelor franchise,” she said. “It was deeply personal but I felt it was important to share. While it was a very collaborative experience, they decided to misrepresent me with the headline that was chosen for the cover. Those are not my words nor are they are reflection of how I feel. In fact, it is in stark contrast to the context of the piece.”
The first Black Bachelorette concluded with, “For me, it is very disappointing and disrespectful that the very notion I was trying to refute was used against me by the publication for a clickbait headline. My truth and my thoughts are told on the inside of the magazine which I am very proud of and hope you all read.”
Related Story: ‘Bachelorette’ Star Rachel Lindsay Demands End to ‘Racism’ on Franchise
The magazine responded to Lindsay’s criticism.
“New York Magazine is incredibly proud to have published Rachel Lindsay’s powerful, first-person story, detailing her experience with the Bachelor franchise. We were sorry to learn that she is unhappy with the cover line (which was not meant as a direct quote), but it shouldn’t take away from the candor and bravery of her words in the piece,” a spokesperson for the magazine told The Wrap.
The essay is titled “Rachel Lindsay Has No Roses Left to Burn.” In the piece, Lindsay describes the difference between devoted fans of the reality dating franchise — known as Bachelor Nation — and what she calls the “Bachelor Klan.”
She is quoted as describing the “Bachelor Klan” as a “hateful, racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and homophobic” subsection of the fan group, and says some of them hurled insults and spiteful rhetoric at her during her time as a Bachelor contestant and Bachelorette lead.
Lindsay has been a vocal advocate for more diversity on ABC’s hit Bachelor franchise. She made headlines after discussing casting decisions she said producers made for her on the show. She also did a viral interview about race with longtime Bachelor host Chris Harrison, who has since left the show.
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