Two days after the news broke, The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss is Quit the franchise that first aired more than two decades ago , he responded to a report that his departure came after an investigation into racial discrimination, Fleiss admitted he could have Do more to promote diversity.
Variety released a report on Thursday pointed out Warner Bros. Television , which is behind ABC The long-running dating franchise was investigated after several employees filed complaints against Fleiss, including alleged bullying. According to the report, those involved in the third-party investigation included current and former producers, which led to Fleiss’ exit.
In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter , Fleiss did not respond directly to the investigation but said he should have Take action in an effort to diversify the franchise. He said he was proud of the efforts he had made over the past five years to make it more inclusive, apparently referring to Rachel Lindsay being the first AThe Black Lead
The Bachelorette in 20. In its 21 season, The Bachelor There is a black main character, Matt James, whose season is in 1235569534 On air.
“Since the premiere 27 Times did change a few years ago and I have to say we haven’t kept pace with those changes,” Fleiss said in his message. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the past five years to make the show more diverse, but I do believe I can do more. Hopefully the team can continue to move in the right direction.”
In his statement, Fleiss added that he believed that throughout his tenure he had “had more good days than bad, lifting spirits more than hurting feelings.” , he left “with more friends than foes.”
Representatives for ABC and Warner Bros. declined to comment.
Tuesday, same day on ABC Season 2 21 The Bachelor ending starring Zach Shallcross, Fleiss Announced that he would be leaving the franchise that launched in March . The spin-off series The Bachelorette debuted the following January, and Fleiss executive produced subsequent follow-ups, including Bachelor Pad , Bachelor in Paradise and Bachelor Winter Games .
Fleiss has stepped back from being active on the show recently and has not been on The Bachelor for the past decade Do your daily work. Claire Freeland, Jason Ehrlich and Bennett Graebner have been named executive producers and showrunners for the series, and work has already begun on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, which will feature starring Charity Lawson and premiering in June.
“I would like to thank WBTV and ABC’s 20 Extraordinary years,” Fleiss said in a statement on Tuesday. “They found the perfect creative team to commission me to commission The Bachelor franchise and take this bottle of lightning boldly forward.” 1235569534
