Taylor Nolan, an alum of The Bachelor who has been outspoken about social justice issues pertaining to the franchise, went silent after she sparked a social media controversy of her own. After offensive tweets from her past resurfaced, Nolan took some time away from social media. Now, she has returned with more to say about the scandal.
Nolan appeared on Nick Viall's season of The Bachelor, where she was most well-known for feuding with fellow contestant Corrine Olympios. Since her appearance on the show, Nolan has been involved in anti-racism efforts both within and outside of the franchise. But while she has been outspoken about holding other Bachelor Nation figures accountable, she found herself at the center of a social media firestorm when offensive posts from her own past resurfaced in March. In numerous posts spanning several years, Nolan mocked and stereotyped members of various racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities and mental illnesses, and people she deemed physically unattractive. She also trivialized sexual assault and suicide.
After the news of Nolan's tweets first broke, she posted a video in which she explained and defended herself. Because Nolan focused primarily on the social justice work she herself has done in the years since her problematic tweets, some fans considered Nolan's statement to be more of an excuse than an apology. She then deleted the video and posted a second apology to her Instagram page. Nolan then went silent on social media for two weeks, then posted a photo with the caption "taking time and space for refocusing and reflecting." Undoubtedly, the intense backlash she received from Bachelor Nation prompted Nolan to step away from the public eye.
Nolan has maintained a relatively low-key social media profile over the past month, with the exception of a handful of posts addressing recent social justice issues. However, she broke her silence surrounding her own controversy by posting an article on Medium where she addressed her problematic statements. In the article, Nolan said that the hateful, racist, and ableist views she expressed in her tweets were the result of the bullying and racism she herself experienced as a biracial woman. However, Bachelor Nation felt the Medium article did not display true accountability on Nolan's part.
In addition to the social media backlash she has received, Nolan may also be facing very real professional consequences for her offensive statements. Nolan is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Washington and posted a significant portion of her offensive tweets while she was completing her professional training. After receiving multiple complaints about Nolan, a spokesperson for the Washington Department of Health announced they were officially opening an investigation. As the drama escalates offline as well as online, Nolan seems to be doing her best to stay out of the public eye.
Source: @taymocha