Former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay has sounded off on yet another reason to be disappointed with sports correspondent Sage Steele.
BET reports that on a recent episode of the Higher Learning podcast, which she co-hosts with Van Lathan, Lindsay said that Steele told her she was glad Lindsay didn’t “choose Black” on her season of The Bachelorette.
Lindsay explained that the encounter happened four years ago, before she realized how colorstruck Steele actually is.
“I like Sage. She’s a woman of color who had a long career in the media and I’m aspiring to this but then I’m listening to you and the first thing you say to me is how thrilled you are I didn’t choose Black,” said Lindsay.
"And I'm like…who is this woman? Since then I've stared to learn more about how problematic she can be."
Lindsay also commented on Steele’s repugnant comments about Pres. Barack Obama’s racial identity earlier this month, in which Steele said on the Uncut with Jay Cutler podcast that Obama called himself “Black” even though his father didn’t raise him.
“I think that it’s fascinating considering his Black dad is nowhere to be found but his white mom and grandma raised him, but okay. You do you. I’m gonna do me,” Steele said on the podcast. “Listen, I’m pretty sure my white mom was there when I was born. And my white family loves me as much as my Black family.”
Steele was suspended from ESPN for her comments and apologized days later for her remarks.
“I know my recent comments created controversy for the company, and I apologize. We are in the midst of an extremely challenging time that impacts all of us, and it’s more critical than ever that we communicate constructively and thoughtfully,” she said.
Lindsay felt Steele wouldn't have made those comments if Obama had a white father.
Lindsay felt Steele wouldn’t have made those comments if Obama had a white father. She also called Steele “twisted” and “obsessed” with race.
The Bachelorette also had its own controversy with colorism. Justin Glaze recently upset viewers after fans found old posts featuring colorist and misogynist language. Glaze apologized for the posts on the Bachelor Happy Hour Podcast, saying he owns up to the hurtful language he used, explaining that his mistakes came from when he was a teenager trying to fit in.
“When I look back at 14-year-old Justin, I was in high school and quite frankly I was the type of person who for whatever reason felt the need to fit in and say funny things and keep up with what my peers were doing and saying,” he said. “The folks I had associated with would throw around really hurtful slurs that, at the time, I didn’t really think anything of. what I said was ignorant and hurtful then [and] it’s ignorant and hurtful now.”
