Tayshia Adams Says Chris Harrison's Apology For 'Excusing Historical Racism' Meant 'A Lot' To Her

Former Bachelorette Tayshia Adams reacted to Chris Harrison's announcement that he will be "stepping aside" as host of The Bachelorette for a "period of time" to try and "evolve and be a better man." 

Harrison, 49, has been making headlines after he seemingly defended Matt James' contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who found herself caught up in a scandal involving race, during an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay on Extra.

Adams — who was the second Black Bachelorette after Lindsay — said Harrison's decision is "a really good thing," during the Thursday, February 18, episode of "Click Bait with Bachelor Nation." The 30-year-old explained that his apology "meant a lot to her" because she felt "he actually meant what he was saying."

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"I think after reading his apology there's a few things that stuck out to me," Adams shared during the podcast. "He said, 'By excusing historical racism I defended it,' which is the absolute truth, and the fact that he called that out and owned up to that and he acknowledges that, means a lot to me."

Adams also said it "meant a lot" to her when Harrison stated: "'This is not just a moment but a commitment to much greater understanding that I will actively make each day,'" because "it isn't just a moment, just like how Blacks Lives Matter isn't just a trending topic on Instagram — it's a thing that's taking place every single day that we should actively try to partake in and better."

The most recent Bachelorette noted that Harrison's decision to temporarily step down was "absolutely" the right move because "his words affected a lot of people, you know, myself included." The fact that Harrison didn't just "issue an apology and then just going back to work the next day like nothing happened speaks volumes on his behalf," she added.

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Last week, Adams shared that her "jaw was kind of to the floor," when she watched Harrison's interview with Lindsay for the first time. "It was an ongoing conversation that was just filled with so much defense and what I feel is ignorance."

Adams' second reaction to Harrison's temporary resignation came after Lindsay and others in Bachelor Nation called him out for saying Kirkconnell — who was deemed the frontrunner on the first Black male lead's season — deserved "compassion." 

In the controversial interview, Harrison said that Bachelor Nation should offer the 24-year-old "a little grace, a little understanding" after she allegedly "liked" racially insensitive posts on social media and was reportedly photographed attending a plantation-themed party and dressed as a Native American person.

Harrison went even further and implied Kirkconnell's behavior was acceptable in 2018 as opposed to 2021, a time in which people are looking through a different lens.