Rachel Lindsay thinks it was the "right decision" for "The Bachelor" host Chris Harrison to temporarily step aside from the show.
Harrison faced backlash after defending "The Bachelor" Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell in an interview with Lindsay on "Extra" last week following reports that Kirkconnell once attended an antebellum plantation-themed formal and liked racist social media posts.
Harrison apologized for his remarks in a statement Feb. 10. Following further criticism, Harrison said Saturday that he is "stepping aside for a period of time" from "The Bachelor" franchise.
On Monday, "Extra" host Billy Bush asked Lindsay for her thoughts on Harrison stepping aside and his future with "The Bachelor" franchise.
"Where do we go from here as a franchise? It's kind of hard to say," Lindsay said."Chris has stepped aside, which I think is the right decision, because like you said, he needs to get educated on a profound and productive level, to use his words."
"I think he needs to understand what was done, what was wrong in what he said in that interview," she added. "He needs time. He needs to step away to do that."
"I don't want to play into things too quick to judge someone," she said.
"Am I disappointed? Absolutely. Do I agree with what happened in that interview? No. But at the same time, he has taken the steps to not issue one, but two, apologies. Let's see what happens from there."
Lindsay said she was "stunned" to see Harrison make his remarks publicly during their interview.
"Like Chris referenced in that interview, we have had these conversations, so I wasn't shocked at the content of what he was saying," she said.
"It was just more of the fact that he was saying it in public, where other people can hear what you think."
"The Bachelor" is in its 25th season on ABC and stars Matt James, the show's first Black Bachelor.
