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Speaking out. Improving diversity on television remains an ongoing issue — especially when TV reflects reality.<\/p>\n
Rachel Lindsay<\/strong><\/a> has long been vocal about the lack of diverse leads and contenders featured within The Bachelor<\/em><\/a> franchise. After competing for Nick Viall<\/strong><\/a>’s heart on season 21 in 2017, she became the first Black woman to lead The Bachelorette<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n In June 2020, the former attorney slammed Bachelor Nation for continuously failing to make casting choices that are representative of society<\/a>. “In 40 seasons [The Bachelor<\/em>] had one Black lead,” she previously told AfterBuzz TV<\/em><\/a>. “We are on 45 presidents. And in 45 presidents there’s been one Black president. You are almost on par to say you’re more likely to become the President of the United States than you are a Black lead in this franchise. That’s insane. That’s ridiculous.”<\/p>\n Lindsay also threatened to disassociate from Bachelor Nation, adding, “I can’t. I have to see some type of change. It’s ridiculous. It’s embarrassing. At this point, it’s embarrassing to be affiliated with it.”<\/p>\n Like Lindsay, fellow Bachelor Nation star Mike Johnson<\/strong><\/a> has condemned the franchise’s “atrocious” casting efforts<\/a> for not being more diverse. “There have been numerous, wonderful Black and indigenous people of color that could have been cast in the lead roles, and for the franchise to not to do that, it’s just terrible,” the Air Force vet, who previously appeared on The Bachelorette<\/em>’s 15th season, told Variety<\/em><\/a> in August 2020. “It should not have taken an outcry from the fans, who I absolutely adore — that was a clear sign that there is power in numbers, so I love the fans who signed petitions and things like that, but it shouldn’t have taken that.”<\/p>\n Johnson also advocated for more diversity behind-the-scenes. “I hope that they do listen. And I hope that it’s not just the leads and contestants, but people in charge should also be diverse, as well,” he added.<\/p>\n Vanderpump Rules<\/em> alum Faith Stowers<\/strong><\/a>, for her part, spoke out about her experience being the only person of color on the Bravo series<\/a>. “I did a show with an all-white cast,” she said via Instagram Live in June 2020. “I was the only Black person on the show. It was a lot.”<\/p>\n Scroll down to see how other reality stars, including Siesta Key<\/em>’s Juliette Porter<\/strong><\/a> and Lisa Vanderpump<\/strong><\/a>, have openly discussed diversity issues.<\/p>\n The Jamie Foxx Show<\/em> alum is the first Black star to appear on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills<\/em>. In August 2020, she opened up about the pressures of being representative of the Black community on the show.<\/p>\n “I think I felt definite pressure not only to represent, but also I wanted to make sure that I was representing me and not representing what people think the idea of a Black woman is,” she told Entertainment Tonight<\/em><\/a>. “Because I think we have other franchises where, you know, the women are definitely not only outspoken, but it’s different. And I didn’t want to be part of that. I really wanted people to get to know me this season. That was my purpose.”<\/p>\n Beauvais also said she believes ethnically diverse Housewives are portrayed differently, adding, “I think the other Housewives that are of color, I feel like people expect them to be pulling the hair and throwing kicks and stuff like that. And it’s unfortunate.”<\/p>\n In April 2019, Lindsay spoke exclusively to Us Weekly<\/em> about being the only former Black Bachelorette<\/a> at the reunion taping. “It was sad for me to look around the room and [see that] no one else looked like me,” she explained. “It was sad for me to be the sole representation for women of color.”<\/p>\n The Siesta Key<\/em> star told Entertainment Tonight<\/em><\/a> in June that the MTV series should incorporate more diversity. “I definitely think we need to be more diverse … though this is a wealthier town where we don’t have a lot of diversity, so everyone seems to be white and privileged here and that’s the reality of the situation,” she explained. “But I am all for having a much more diverse show — I would love it. We have a lot of friends that we can include. It’s just hard when there’s so many different people and so many different stories.”<\/p>\n In an Instagram Live from June 2020, the former Bravolebrity spoke out about how her experience on Vanderpump Rules<\/em> differed from her white castmates’. “I didn’t have [any confessional interviews],” she said. “It could be different on their end, but in my opinion, I thought it was weird that everybody on the show got to do interviews and confessionals and I didn’t even get a chance to do that, to tell my story, which was a very interesting story, being a Black woman in the military at the time. At the time, I was still in the army. … I didn’t feel like they appreciated that.”<\/p>\n When Johnson joined the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast in September 2019, he stressed the importance of Bachelor Nation featuring different types of people in the leading role. “Talking about people of color, they need to have an Asian Bachelor, they need to have an Indian Bachelor,” he said at the time. “They need to have other people outside of just Black and white.”<\/p>\n The Bravo vet expressed how she was “deeply saddened” by the behavior of four Vanderpump Rules<\/em> stars who were fired for past racist behavior. “I have always been an equal rights activist and ally<\/a> — my family, my businesses and I condemn all forms of cruelty, racism, homophobia, bigotry and unequal treatment,” she wrote via Instagram in June 2020. “We’ve never tolerated it in the workplace or our lives. While you only see a fraction of our employees on the show, a specific friend group, across all of our companies, we have always been a very diverse group of people — every color, ethnicity and sexual orientation.”<\/p>\n In June 2020, the Big Brother<\/em> winner spoke out against the long-running show for its continued lack of diversity. “It is important to speak up because Big Brother<\/em> has always had a problem with minority representation<\/a>,” he previously tweeted. “There are usually at most two Black houseguests and one gay houseguest and Latino and Asian representation is even worse.”<\/p>\n Herren also argued that “straight white males compromise 12 of the 21 winners of the show, which is so crazy when you really break it down” in comparison to gay houseguests, who he claimed are “never afforded this luxury.”<\/p>\n Fleming, who previously competed on Arie Luyendyk Jr.<\/strong>’s Bachelor<\/em> season, slammed the franchise’s inability to feature more diverse people<\/a>. “By not having a more diverse cast, by not having more Asians or Hispanics or Black people, you’re isolating a part of the country that would be interested in the show if they felt more represented,” she told E! News<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n On an episode of the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast, Kufrin apologized to cohost Rachel Lindsay<\/strong> and their listeners for not being stronger on her stance in the fight against inequality. The Minnesota native argued that “we still need to see more diversity” in the Bachelor<\/em> franchise and that she wants to help support Lindsay’s voice.<\/p>\n “I feel like when I was trying to state my points last week, I fell short and I didn’t fully offer that support. I’m coming to you not only as a colleague, but more importantly, as a friend,” she said to Lindsay in June 2020. “You have continuously and relentlessly fought for what is right. You have continuously used your voice and asked for support in the lack of diversity that’s been seen within the franchise … I need to step that up.”<\/p>\n Tags:<\/b> Dory Jackson<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Garcelle Beauvais<\/h2>\n
Rachel Lindsay<\/h2>\n
Juliette Porter<\/h2>\n
Faith Stowers<\/h2>\n
Mike Johnson<\/h2>\n
Lisa Vanderpump<\/h2>\n
Andy Herren<\/h2>\n
Seinne Fleming<\/h2>\n
Becca Kufrin<\/h2>\n
See Campaign: <\/strong>https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/pictures\/reality-tv-stars-speaking-out-about-diversity-rachel-lindsay-more\/<\/a>
Contact Information:<\/b>
Dory Jackson<\/p>\n
<\/a>, Wire<\/a>, United States<\/a>, English<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nContact Information:<\/h3>\n
Speaking out. Improving diversity on television remains an ongoing issue — especially when TV reflects reality. Rachel Lindsay has long been vocal about the lack of diverse leads and contenders featured within The Bachelor franchise. After competing for Nick Viall’s heart on season 21 in 2017, she became the first Black woman to lead The Bachelorette. In June 2020, the … Continue reading Reality TV Stars Who Have Spoken Out About Diversity: Rachel Lindsay, Juliette Porter and More<\/span><\/a> Continue Reading