Bachelor Nation is apparently down one resident these days.
Speaking to relationship expert Rori Sassoon last week at the launch party for the UnFiltered dating app, Catherine Giudici spoke on behalf of her husband.
She and Sean Lowe, who anchored The Bachelor Season 17, represent one of the only successful couples in the history of this franchise, having gotten together in 2013 and then having stunned the world by simply...
... staying together.
Lowe should therefore be an enormous series cheerleader these days.
Giudici, however, admitted at the aforementioned event that Lowe is basically on strike.
“I’m watching it," Catherine said of the ongoing season of The Bachelorette, adding:
"My husband is kind of boycotting it because of the Chris Harrison stuff, but I’m watching it this season to support the girls."
Ah, yes, the Chris Harrison stuff.
The veteran host took a temporary leave of absence from his role after a controversial interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, during which he defended former contestant Rachael Kirkconnell in the wake of her racially-insensitive social media posts.
Harrison apologized multiple times for placing Kirkconnell's feelings aboove those who felt victimized by her past decisions and behavior.
In the end, however, it wasn't enough.
Earlier this month, Harrison and ABC agreed to part ways.
The producer and network executives reportedly reached a large settlement in exchange for Harrison keeping his mouth shut in regard to whatever secrets he could spill.
And that is now that.
Tayshia Adams and Kailtyn Bristowe are serving as co-mentors for Katie Thurston; David Spade and other D-List celebrities are lined up to host Bachelor in Paradise this summer; and then who knows???
No permanent replacement for Harrison has been announced.
"I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter,” Harrison wrote via Instagram on June 8.
“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."
It sounds very much like Lowe considers himself a close friend of Harrison's and, as a result, thinks his tight pal was done wrong by getting shoved aside here.
“The whole situation is frustrating for him,” a source previously told Us Weekly about Harrison. “Until things are settled legally and contractually, he can’t even plan his next steps."
Still, don't cry too hard for Harrison in this context.
The guy didn't exactly walk away empty-handed.
Some reports indicate he agreed to a contractual buy-out that netted him over $20 million.
Looking ahead, it remains unclear who will replace Chris Harrison.
Among the alleged names under consideration?
Emmanuel Acho. JoJo Fletcher. Michael Strahan. Tanner Tolbert.
Anyone out there have a preference?
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