Chris Harrison Gets Married Two Years After 'Bachelor' Exit
Chris Harrison hosted 'The Bachelor' for nearly 20 years before his controversial 2021 exit.
Chris Harrison saved his final rose for Lauren Zima. The former Bachelor host, 52, tied the knot with the 35-year-old producer at two weddings over the past month – an intimate ceremony in Napa Valley, California, on Oct. 14 and a huge party at a ranch in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 4. "We're married," Zima posted on Instagram over the weekend alongside a photo from the Napa ceremony. "Let the journey begin."
Zima, who met Harrison in 2016 while working as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and covering The Bachelor franchise, told PEOPLE that they wanted to be able to "leave our wedding feeling like we didn't even see any of our loved ones" while also having a larger party at which they can "celebrate getting married with all the great friends we have." Some of Bachelor Nation's attendees included Wells Adams and Sarah Hyland, Ben Higgins and his wife Jessica, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham, Sean and Catherine Lowe, JoJo Fletcher, Trista Sutter, Colton Underwood and Jordan C. Brown, as well as Bob Guiney and Jessica Canyon.
Harrison and Zima's wedding comes two years after ABC announced that the longtime Bachelor host would be exiting the franchise after coming under fire for defending a contestant's past racist behavior. Harrison stepped back from his role in February 2021 after defending former Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's participation in a plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018.
Harrison defended Kirkconnell in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, who is Black, sparking outrage from Bachelor franchise fans. The host later admitted that he had "made a mistake" in an interview on Good Morning America, saying at the time, "I am an imperfect man, I made a mistake and I own that. I believe that mistake doesn't reflect who I am or what I stand for. I am committed to progress, not just for myself, also for the franchise."
In June 2021, Harrison was announced as officially having exited Bachelor Nation, saying in a statement to Instagram at the time that he was excited for a new chapter after an "incredible run." He said at the time, "I'm so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we've made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I've made will last a lifetime."