Brendan Morais from Bachelor in Paradise has been sinking deeper into boiling water over the last week, and it's time to explain why his apology video didn't resonate with the show's fans. Viewers (and his fellow castmates) are roasting him for leading Natasha Parker on while being involved with Pieper James back at home. While Brendan did not see the light while filming, he has since apologized in a video on Instagram. However, nobody is impressed. Brendan ditched Natasha for Pieper the minute she stepped into paradise. He claimed he was not romantically involved with Natasha. It became abundantly clear that Pieper and Brendan envisioned paradise as a space to deepen their connection, rather than openly date.
It will be a long road for Brendan when it comes to understanding the gravity of his mistakes. In Brendan's BIP apology video on Instagram, he said, “I never meant to lead you on. I truthfully and honestly enjoyed spending time with you. I enjoyed your sweet, soft, kind nature. Your gentle spirit. That's something I’m really drawn to.” Brendan then reiterated that they did not have the romantic spark required to make a relationship really grow. He had repeatedly failed to make this clear to Natasha in paradise before Pieper’s arrival. He then fumbled by saying that he could never imagine the heartbreak he caused her after knowing her for only “a couple of days”.
The apology fell flat, as it was filled with excuses and failed to address the possibly racist notions attached to many of his comments. BIP's Natasha moved on, making the notion that he left Natasha heartbroken ring especially tone-deaf. Natasha wished them well, making clear her frustration wasn’t about an undying love for Brendan. It was about the blatant disrespect involved in leading someone on for the sole purpose of dating someone else. The seven minutes that followed in Brendan's video were a poor attempt to complicate the narrative. Brendan claimed he called Natasha annoying because she didn't get the memo he never sent about not wanting a serious relationship with her.
Brendan defended himself. He argued that he simply failed to communicate effectively and respectfully with Natasha, Pieper, and the other women on the beach. He denied clout chasing on BIP. On the other hand, he had no problem showing Joe Amabile respect. As a side note, the disrespect toward the rest of the female cast members didn't go over well. While Brendan, like Chris, recognized that he needed to adjust his communication style without any “sugarcoating," the use of the word sugarcoating implies that he needed to soften the blow for Natasha. She was more than capable of communicating openly and honestly. @theblkbachelorettes of Instagram, who have a long history of commentating on possibly racist narratives on BIP, also had some feedback for him. Brendan lacked understanding of how his problematic actions were received and slammed by BIP fans.
The @theblkbachelorettes wrote in an open letter to Brendan, “you fed into and actively reaffirmed that Natasha was worthless not only to you but to anybody who may have been interested in her on the beach.” This perpetuated, “the very racist notion that Natasha is less worthy of love and care.” They noted that this was done “to one of the only remaining dark-skinned Black women in paradise within a franchise that has a tracked history of disrespecting black women, especially those of us of the darker variety.” The page also pointed to the hand producers likely had in setting up the twisted plot. While the crew whipped out a rose to save Natasha last week (and likely themselves), Bachelor in Paradise stars Brendan and Pieper have some major Bachelor in Paradise failings to further reflect on.
Sources: Theblckbachelorettes/Instagram, Brendan Morais/Instagram