'Bachelorette' alum James McCoy Taylor 'exiled' from Bachelor Nation after pro-Trump protest
James McCoy Taylor is no longer a welcome member of Bachelor Nation.
After the former Bachelorette star tweeted about participating in last week’s protest in support of President Donald Trump, which turned deadly, the franchise’s executive producer said Taylor is “officially exiled.”
“Shame on you,” Mike Fleiss tweeted on Wednesday.
Thanks all for letting me know. @JamesTaylor_com shame on you.
— Mike Fleiss (@fleissmeister) January 13, 2021
Former Bachelorette lead, Rachel Lindsay, also weighed in, writing, “We have to do better with casting.” Lindsay has been outspoken in holding ABC accountable on that matter as she previously said there was “a racist contestant on my season.”
Reason #4853569536 we have to do better with casting https://t.co/xuTZs45a4h
— Rachel Lindsay (@TheRachLindsay) January 13, 2021
Taylor, a singer who competed on JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette in 2016, said he “legally supported the president” in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday.
On Jan. 6, President Trump riled protesters up with a raucous speech at the “Save America March,” telling them to “fight much harder” against “bad people” and “show strength” at the Capitol. A violent mob then marched down and stormed the Capitol building, resulting in the loss of five lives. President Trump was just impeached for the second time for his role in the insurrection.
Taylor insinuated he only attended the protest. He retweeted someone who wrote, “Not everyone who was in DC was involved in the riot. Kinda like not everyone who protested this summer were the ones setting fires and attacking federal courthouses. No one should defend violence on any side.”
ABC, the home network of the Bachelor franchise, appears to be distancing itself from the drama.
In a tweet, Taylor thanked ABC and “the Bachelor family for supporting me during this time,” adding, “conservative producers are the best.” However, a source close to ABC tells E! News Taylor’s claims are “unequivocally false.”
Big thanks to #TheBachelor family for supporting me during this time... from top to bottom.
Conservative producers are the best!!
Thank you @ABCNetwork @ABC & @BachelorABC for having my back while I legally supported our President.— James McCoy Taylor (@james_mccoy_t) January 12, 2021
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