‘Bachelor’ Nick Viall Slams Show’s Vetting Process After Sexual Assault Scandal

Former Bachelor star Nick Viall sees some big problems in how Bachelor Nation contestants are chosen after two contestants on the ongoing season of The Bachelorette were removed mid-season for troubling behavior.

During an interview with PEOPLE‘s Chatter show, Viall was asked about the controversy surrounding contestants on Becca Kufrin’s season Lincoln Adim and Garrett Yrigoyen.

“It is clearly an issue,” Viall said of the background checks performed on contestants during rounds of casting. “The Garrett thing, obviously it’s inappropriate, [but] I think it’s harder. I don’t know how that process works.”

“The Lincoln thing, unfortunately, it’s a big mistake, and I think something that they need to really look into,” he added.

Frontrunner Yrigoyen found himself under scrutiny in May after offensive posts he had “liked” on Instagram came to light. Some of the posts, shared initially by former Bachelor contestant Ashley Spivey, mocked transgender community, a high school shooting survivor, and undocumented immigrants.

Then, last week Reality Steve broke the news that just days before the season premiere of this season of The Bachelorette, Adim had been convicted of indecent assault and battery for groping and assaulting a woman on a cruise ship in May 2016. He was sentenced to two years of probation and is expected to register as a sex offender. Neither Adim nor Kufrin have addressed his conviction publicly.

Warner Bros., the production company behind the Bachelor Nation franchise, said in a statement soon after the conviction came to light that he had lied about the charges during the season’s vetting process.

“You can’t have people convicted of sexual assault on the show, or really just anywhere.” Viall said during his appearance on Chatter. “Obviously they need to look at their vetting process. It’s a very unfortunate situation.”

Yrigoyen, meanwhile, released a statement apologizing for his social media behavior soon after his controversy broke.

“I did not know what to expect once the show aired. I am sorry to those who I offended, and I also take full responsibility for my ‘likes’ on Instagram that were hurtful and offensive,” he wrote on Instagram. “Let my mistakes be a lesson for those who mindlessly double tap images, memes and videos on any social media content that could be many things including hurtful, degrading, and dehumanizing.”

Kufrin has not spoken out about Adim’s scandal, but did defend Yrigoyen in an interview with Mario Lopez during ON With Mario Lopez.

“I just want everyone to watch and to get to know these guys and to get to know me for who we really are and not social media because that’s just a small glimpse into a person and it’s not always reflective of who they are,” she said.

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo credit: Instagram/Nick Viall