The Bachelorette has cast its first black star but the reveal of the woman's identity is a little spoiler for the current season of The Bachelor.
Rachel Lindsay, a 31-year-old attorney from Dallas, Texas, will be the next Bachelorette when the new season premieres next spring. This marks the first time ABC has cast a person of color in the leading role for The Bachelorette or The Bachelor, as reported by Yahoo.
Lindsay spoke to Good Morning America about making history on her new job, saying, “I’m honored to have this opportunity and to represent myself as an African American woman. I just hope that people rally behind me … and just realize that I’m just trying to find love, and even though I’m an African American woman, it’s no different than any other Bachelorette.”
Lindsay is still a contestant on the current season of The Bachelor and is one of the four remaining women on the show since the Feb. 13 episode. ABC made the announcement now because they wanted to have more time for casting. ABC did a similar announcement with the current bachelor Nick Viall, who was confirmed as the next Bachelor while still competing on Bachelor in Paradise.
Viall spoke to Ellen Degeneres about the historic pick of Lindsay as the next Bachelorette and wishes her well, as reported by E! News. "I mean, Rachel and I had an amazing amount of chemistry from the very first night. She got the first impression rose. I'm very excited for her. I think she's going to be an amazing bachelorette."
Diversity has been a big issue for The Bachelor and its spinoffs. In 2012, a class-action lawsuit was filed against ABC and the studio that produces the franchise, Warner Horizon Television, claiming that the show "violated racial discrimination laws." The suit was dismissed in October 2012.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 pm on ABC. Make sure to catch the new season of The Bachelorette with Lindsay in the spring.