'Bachelor' alumni are calling out Chris Harrison and the franchise after his interview defending a contestant's racist actions

• On Tuesday, former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay interviewed host Chris Harrison on "Extra."
• Harrison defended current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who has acknowledged her "racist actions."
• "Bachelor" alumni, specifically BIPOC alums, are speaking out against the show and Harrison.

Former contestants from "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" have banded together in an unprecedented show of unity to demand accountability for the franchise and its host, Chris Harrison, after an interview in which he defended a contestant's controversial photos.

The outcry comes after Harrison's Extra interview with Rachel Lindsay, a former "Bachelorette" star and the franchise's first Black lead, in which they discussed photos of current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at a plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018. In the interview, Harrison defended the images and called for "grace" for Kirkconnell.

Though Harrison has apologized for "perpetuating racism" and Kirkconnell posted her own statement on Instagram, the reaction from the "Bachelor" community was swift.

The backlash towards Harrison from fans and alumni was immediate

Many fans condemned Harrison as well as the historically white franchise, which has only had two Black leads in 16 seasons of "The Bachelorette" and one Black lead in 25 seasons of "The Bachelor." People even launched a Change.org petition to remove Harrison from the show, which had over 30,000 signatures as of Friday morning.

But more surprising was the number of "Bachelor" alumni who have spoken out against Harrison and the franchise, which many said created a toxic environment for anyone identifying as BIPOC.

Jubilee Sharpe from Ben Higgins' season said on Twitter that she wasn't shocked by the behavior.

Onyeka Ehie of Colton Underwood's season tweeted that Black members of Bachelor Nation get an outsized amount of hate, but no one from the show defended them.

Diggy Moreland from Rachel Lindsay's season said that plantation-themed parties were unacceptable when he was in college a decade ago, let alone in 2018, when Kirkconnell's photos were taken.

Khaylah Epps from Matt James' season tweeted Harrison's comments were "a slap in the face," and that Black women are never extended the same grace that others on the show are given.

The women of season 25 and men of season 16 also made a powerful show of unity

Rather than remain silent - which in the past has been standard protocol for issues regarding the "Bachelor" shows - the women of this season banded together and posted a joint statement condemning the remarks and supporting Lindsay.

"We are the women of Bachelor Season 25," the message reads. "Twenty-five women who identify as BIPOC were cast on this historic season that was meant to represent change. We are deeply disappointed and want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism. Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals. The experiences are not to be exploited or tokenized."

"Rachel Lindsay continues to advocate with 'grace' for individuals who identify as BIPOC within this franchise," the statement continued, making a dig at Harrison saying Kirkconnell deserved "grace" for her mistakes to Lindsay. "Just because she is speaking the loudest, doesn't mean she is alone. We stand with her, we hear her, and we advocate for change alongside her."

Over 30 contestants from this season have shared the message, seen below.

On Friday morning, many members of the cast of season 16 of "The Bachelorette" (dubbed the "Clayshia" season because it was hosted first by Clare Crawley and then by Tayshia Adams) posted a similarly united statement.

"We had the opportunity to be a part of one of the most diverse casts in the history of the franchise," the message says, in part. "The addition of more people who identify as BIPOC has opened up the conversation on race, community, and who we are as people. A conversation that has been long overdue. We stand united in denouncing racist behavior and any defense thereof. We also stand united with the women of Season 25 of the Bachelor, who had denounced the same; moreover, we stand united with Rachel Lindsay, who has led the way."

Harrison and Kirkconnell both apologized on Instagram after his interview

In the Extra interview on February 9 with Lindsay, Harrison had tried to argue that attending a plantation-themed party in 2021 was "a bad look," but not in 2018, when the photos were taken. He also asked for "grace" towards Kirkconnell and claimed she had been "thrown to the lions."

Following the backlash, Harrison posted an apology on Instagram on Wednesday, apologizing to both Lindsay and Bachelor Nation. He also said that, by "extending grace" towards Kirkconnell, he understands he was speaking in a way that "perpetuates racism."

Some "Bachelor" alum that have liked Harrison's apology post include former "Bachelor" star Nick Viall, current "Bachelor" star James, and former "Bachelor" contestant Catherine Giudici.

Harrison has previously acknowledged that the show needs to do better. He told Insider in 2020 that the show had taken its first steps by casting Adams and James - the most recent "Bachelorette" and "Bachelor" leads, who are Black - and now "can take the second step, which is, 'OK, what do we do about this? What action can we take?'''

Kirkconnell has also responded with a statement on Instagram. She had remained silent on the issue until Thursday, despite the number of growing stories about her alleged racist behavior, including liking racist posts on social media and purportedly bullying a former classmate for dating Black men in high school.

"I didn't recognize how offensive and racist my actions were but that doesn't excuse them," she wrote. "My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or okay in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist."

As for Lindsay, she says her days with the franchise 'are numbered'

Lindsay, for her part, has repeatedly spoken out about the racism inside the show. On Wednesday, she tweeted that her days with the franchise were numbered.

She also told Insider's Anneta Konstantinides in February that she was frustrated.

"It's extremely frustrating when you see somebody slip through the cracks, and it does a disservice to the lead who has no idea, because what if they pick that problematic person? It's been done before," she said.

Harrison and ABC did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.