The Bachelorette: Racist, Sexist Tweets Surface From Contestant on ABC Show

October 2024 · 4 minute read

ABC was praised for finally showcasing the first-ever black lead on “The Bachelor” franchise this season, but just two weeks into the historic season of “The Bachelorette,” the network is in hot water for casting a contestant whose alleged racist tweets surfaced online.

A slew of tweets allegedly from contestant Lee Garrett’s Twitter account were leaked this week on social media, including one that reads, “What’s the difference between the NAACP and the KKK? Wait for it…One has the sense of shame to cover their racist a– faces.”

ABC declined to comment. When approached by Variety, the network would not confirm the authenticity of the tweets, which appear to be taken directly from Garrett’s Twitter.

An insider tells Variety that the network only learned about the tweets when they were approached by the media on Wednesday, and had no prior knowledge of their existence, despite background checks for contestants who go through a vetting process when being cast on the reality show. Though it seems a broadcaster would thoroughly check social media during casting, Garrett’s accounts are private.

Related Stories

A hand holding a phone with likes and hearts VIP+

Web Traffic Patterns: Established News Brands Cede Ground to Partisan Political Upstarts  

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MAY 03: Snoop Dogg attends the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference at The Beverly Hilton on May 03, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)

Snoop Dogg Says Upcoming Tom Petty Duet Is a 'Weed Song,' Describes Eminem and 50 Cent Collab as a 'Real Street Record'

Popular on Variety

Garrett is a 30-year-old singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tenn., who is still in the running on the ABC dating show, vying for “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay’s heart. Though his Twitter account is private, his self-written bio describes himself as “pleasantly offensive.”

Garrett’s alleged tweets — which were posted by a Twitter user on Tuesday evening — were posted in 2015 and 2016. In one of the tweets, the contestant appears to support deeming Black Lives Matter as a “terrorist group,” while in another, he supposedly asks, “When is the last time you actually saw a pretty feminist? There is a reason for this.” Referring to Hillary Clinton and O.J. Simpson, another tweet reads, “Hillary is the millennial’s version of O.J.”

Read the alleged tweets below:

Hooooooo boy! @BacheloretteABC @TheRachLindsay #TheBachelorette pic.twitter.com/cGMy6hFJh3

— Erika (@emesola) May 31, 2017

Gotta love how @BacheloretteABC casts Lee…wonder how @TheRachLindsay feels about it? #TheBachelorette pic.twitter.com/RX6lkGpgyB

— Erika (@emesola) May 31, 2017

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXKDjq2taKaVrMBwwMeeZJuZk52yrbvRnqutnV2nrqS10q1kra%2BVmsG0ecKopa2do6mur8CMpZyeZZeWv7Ox061kampgZ4F2fI9xbmg%3D