ABC Show 'The Bachelor' to Be Sued for Racial Discrimination
Two African American men are set to file a class action lawsuit against the creators of popular ABC shows "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," following claims that they were racially discriminated against during an audition to become the show's bachelor.
The plaintiffs, Christopher Johnson and Nathaniel Claybrooks, allege that when they arrived at a Nashville hotel to audition for the show's bachelor role they were shunned by producers, according to TMZ.
Both Johnson, an aspiring NFL player, and Claybrooks say that producers asked why they were at the audition, and when they explained that they were there to take part they were immediately shoved to the side of the room and excluded from the regular auditioning process.
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A class action lawsuit will be filed on Wednesday morning against the show's creator Mike Fleiss, ABC, Warner Horizon Television, Next Entertainment, and NZK Productions.
The reality TV franchise, which acts as a dating game show, first debuted in 2002 and has often received criticism for its lack of minority castings.
In January 2010 political analyst, Andy Ostroy, openly questioned whether the show was racist in an article posted on the Huffington Post.
"In 2010 there's a black man running the White House, a black man heading the GOP house, but a black person can't get into The Bachelor/Bachelorette house? Did ABC think this glaring absence would go unnoticed?" Ostroy wrote.
The dating show, which follows various women as they desperately compete to win the heart of "The Bachelor," has lasted 16 seasons and aired 128 episodes but still has never cast an African American bachelor.
Lamar Hurd, a sportscaster from Portland OR, is currently in the running to become the first ever African-American star of "The Bachelor," although he admits that his own persistence is what helped him overcome his initial reluctant to audition.
"Let's say I wanted to go on it, and was willing to do it, they haven't even had a black Bachelor," Lamar said in a video posted on the Hollywood Gossip.
