Fan favorite Pieper James sounded off on Instagram Wednesday, after her shocking exit on this week's episode of The Bachelor.
While Matt James' journey to find love continues on-screen, The Bachelor franchise is currently embroiled by racial controversy. Host Chris Harrison came under fire for defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racially insensitive behavior in an interview with Rachel Lindsay on Extra. Pieper is one of many Bachelor alum to express her feelings on the franchise's actions this week on social media.
Pieper Speaks Out On Instagram
"Bye bye! I’m so incredibly grateful to have been a part of such an amazing, diverse, and dynamic group of women! My heart is so full of love from the friendships I made," she wrote. "While I continue to have hesitation about the franchise's handling of racial conversations, that does not take away from the bonds I formed."
Chris Harrison revealed on Saturday that he would be stepping away from the franchise indefinitely stating, “the historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions. To that end, I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special.”
Pieper James voiced her support for Harrison's decision to step away from the franchise in a tweet she penned on Saturday. She declared, "I'm waiting to hear the systematic changes the franchise will be evoking to combat the tokenization of BIPOC individuals."
Pieper's Tweet Calls For Systematic Change
Bachelor fans were stunned to see Pieper sent home Monday night. After being shafted from receiving the final rose she said, "I put my weakness and my happiness on the table for literally nothing," Pieper cried. "This is not me. I am not someone who just blindly follows feelings and emotions. Like, I really should have stuck to that, because ...it feels like your entire soul is being stomped on."
Aside from Pieper, members of Bachelor Nation that have spoken out amid the franchise's racial controversy include Rachel Lindsay, Mike Johnson, as well as the entirety of the women of season 25, who made a unified statement via Instagram this week.