Chris Harrison has officially exited The Bachelor franchise, but it was reportedly not an amicable departure and the long-time host threatened to divulge damaging secrets unless he got a significant payout. Though other Bachelor Nation stars have reacted with a flood of well-wishes, Harrison is supposedly still fuming and was willing to play dirty on his way out the door. After 19 years with the franchise, there’s no doubt Harrison knows where the bodies are buried, so to speak, and the network was probably wise to pay him off.
Matt James’ season of The Bachelor became engulfed in controversy, and if contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s racially-insensitive plantation party pictures were the gasoline, Harrison’s clueless and ignorant comments during his damage-control interview were the match. Many fans (and Bachelor Nation alum) called for his removal, and after spending months in limbo, Harrison has officially left the franchise with a hefty eight-figure payout.
ABC reportedly hoped that Harrison would leave “quickly and quietly,” but apparently that’s not how it went down. “He has nearly 20 years of dirt,” a source told Page Six. “Instead of handing them a rose, he was absolutely ready to hand them a lawsuit detailing all the behind-the-scenes details...Chris Harrison’s whole life was The Bachelor, and he didn’t want to let go,” the source commented. “He still is really sad to leave, and there have been very tough and very heated negotiations going on for weeks.”
Although Harrison reportedly didn’t get the $25 million payout he wanted, the network still shelled out major cash to get the former host to leave the franchise without spilling any tea. “He knows a lot about inappropriate behavior on set: fights between contestants, misbehavior including use of illegal substances while overseas and complaints from producers that were allegedly brushed under the carpet by ABC execs,” the source said, adding, “He was ready to tell the truth about how things really work over there—and he has plenty of evidence to back him up.”
The network finally got Harrison out of The Bachelor franchise, but it wasn’t easy or cheap to do so. Harrison hired a high-powered attorney to represent him in negotiations, and it’s clear that his legal team wasn’t afraid to play hardball. ABC hasn’t made any decisions about appointing a new permanent host, though with Harrison officially out of the way, the network can figure out his replacement. Many fans have felt bad for Harrison, but with these new details, it’s hard not to picture him with his eight-figure settlement laughing all the way to the bank.
Source: Page Six