Chris Harrison might be leaving The Bachelor franchise but apparently, he didn’t leave without a fight.
According to Deadline, he and his lawyers negotiated an eight-figure payout (that’s a minimum of $10M) to walk away from the series.
Deadline explained that Chris is getting millions in settlement money from WBTV and parent company ABC/Disney in exchange for the promise not to “unleash the Shiva of lawsuits exposing a swath of The Bachelor’s alleged dirty laundry.”
Deadline called the negotiations “intense.”
The news of Chris’ departure came shortly after rumors leaked that he would not be hosting Bachelor in Paradise this summer. Rather, the show will have a rotation of celebrity guest hosts including David Spade, Wells Adams, and Sarah Hyland. It’s expected that at least one more celebrity will take a turn hosting the show this summer.
Both Chris and ABC made statements this week officially announcing his departure from the franchise. Chris wrote on Instagram,
“I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter. I’m so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we’ve made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.”
Meanwhile, ABC released a statement that said,
“Chris Harrison is stepping aside as host of The Bachelor franchise. We are thankful for his many contributions over the past 20 years and wish him all the best on his new journey.”
Although there were Bachelor alums who wished Chris well, including Ashley Iaconetti and Sean Lowe, there were many more who stayed silent. Needless to say, Chris Harrison’s absence is not something that most people will shed a tear over.
Chris was notoriously booted from the franchise after he defended contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s racist past and gaslighted Rachel Lindsay. However, that was just the last in a long line of racist and misogynistic comments he’d made over the last two decades. This Twitter thread does a decent job of documenting some of his worst moments (but not all).
Since Chris left the show, former Bachelorette leads Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe have taken over hosting duties for Katie Thurston’s season. Although the season just started, the pair have already received rave reviews from fans. If things continue to go well, perhaps they’ll make it a full-time gig.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays on ABC.
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