Chris Harrison Speaks on Toxic Exit From ‘The Bachelor’

Chris Harrison has spoken out about his time on The Bachelor and on his dramatic exit from franchise. The details came during a chat on Bachelorette alum Jason Tartick’s podcast. According to Deadline, Harrison seems to have a multi-faceted view of the situation, especially in hindsight. In the chat, he calls his time on the show a “blessing,” but confirms that the end of his tenure is a “toxic situation.”

Harrison’s departure 2 years ago came amid franchise drama with Season 25’s Rachael Kirkconnell and the racism accusations that stemmed from her “antebellum-themed party” during her time in college. Harrison ended up caught up after defending Kirkconnell despite the growing ire of the vocal fans online.

“I still look at this as a blessing in my life. It was hard at first. Obviously, it wasn’t immediate that I felt great about everything, because what I went through was tumultuous,” Harrison says on the podcast. “I don’t wish it on anybody. It was horrifying on a lot of levels and something that I pray to God my worst enemy never goes through. But, with that said, I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation.”

The departed host says he likely could’ve weathered the storm and stayed on with the long-running dating series, but he claims he needed out himself for his well-being. “We all could have figured it out, but I had to remove myself from that toxic situation,” he adds. “And so I’m proud of that decision. I’m proud that I handled it the way I did and I still look at [the show] as a blessing because it changed my life on so many levels.”

According to Deadline, Harrison was the face of the franchise for 20 years and a few different spinoffs that people can’t get enough of each season. “Financially, of course. It changed my life. It changed my kids’ lives…but at the same time I can also be grateful that I’m gone. That’s a relationship I don’t need to be in anymore because it wasn’t healthy,” Harrison continues. “And so there was mourning a loss there and I had to realize, like when I left my marriage, take your time and don’t just jump back into the next relationship. That’s not the bandaid that’s gonna heal that wound.” 

Harrison adds that he likely would’ve left the show soon enough on his own, but the controversy sped up the process and took the decision out of his hands. Now he can close off the wound and move on.