Rachel Lindsay said her legal job allowing her to take a vacation to film “The Bachelorette” confirms the role is “meant to be.” (ABC)
When attorney Rachel Lindsay made history as the first Black “The Bachelorette” star, she was inundated with questions about whether or not she’d go for a Black man on the reality show.
The Dallas civil defense litigation lawyer, who also was the first Black woman to get a first-impression rose on the newest season of “The Bachelor,” called the lead casting “a beautiful thing” while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter. Lindsay’s “The Bachelorette” designation is notable given a 2012 dismissed lawsuit from two Black male hopefuls that said the show discriminated against nonwhite auditioners.
Lindsay could break another racial barrier for the 15-year-old ABC love show — picking a Black suitor to ride off into the sunset with.
“That is a very common question that I get from Black people,” she said of the possibility. “Honestly, I don’t want to go into this process with any preconceived notions or any pressures to do something for somebody else. I hate to sound selfish, but it’s my process. It’s my journey in finding love. And whether that person is Black, white, red, whatever — it’s my journey.
“I’m not choosing a man for America, I’m choosing a man for me.”
Since ABC announced Lindsay’s spot as “The Bachelorette” for the 13th season, the 31-year-old says the reaction has been positive but acknowledged the negativity, too. Her new role, which she will have to leave her law firm for an extended time to film, was met with racist online backlash.
“I know there are going to be people who criticize what I do, no matter what,” she said. “Bu,t I’m just trying to not get caught up in it. I feel like it was meant to be and that outweighs any fear or pressure that I have in being the first African-American Bachelorette.”
