The Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay condemns ‘online harassment and hate’ directed at contestants

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The Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay has spoken out against online bullying during the ABC franchise’s Women Tell All special that aired Monday.

‘There is so much passion out there in Bachelor Nation – unfortunately, there is a line that has been crossed,’ host Chris Harrison said as he introduced the Dallas-born beauty.

Lindsay, 34, revealed she was ‘really nervous’ about speaking out ‘because the issue that we’re going to discuss today is sadly something that most of us have experienced – that’s online harassment and it’s hate.’

Lindsay said that ‘people have become so comfortable being mean’ and the time has come to confront the issue head on.

‘By not talking about it I think people feel empowered that they can continue to say certain things to us,’ Lindsay said. ‘And if we’re ever gonna fix this problem, we have to acknowledge the problem.’

Lindsay, who was the first black Bachelorette, said she ‘knew it would be hard’ and ‘knew [she] would get even more hate and criticism’ but hoped to ‘pave a way for women who look like me, who haven’t been represented in this role on this show.’

After the studio audience applauded Lindsay, she thanked them and said that she feels like her ‘efforts are in vain, because’ the harassment ‘seems to be getting so much worse.’

Lindsay told the audience, ‘I feel like you guys hear us talk about the hate that we receive, but you have no idea what it is – and the only way that I can actually make you feel it is for you to see it.’

Lindsay then read a series of messages she’d received online illustrating the stream of vitriol aimed in the direction of herself and other reality stars.

Among the stream of insults and threats included: ‘You stupid punk a** b**** … If I ever see you, get ready to have your lawyer ready because I’m gonna f*** you up, b****.’

Another urged her to harm herself, writing, ‘You’re an emotional, stupid b****. Kill your self. You’re useless.’

One message included racial slurs and called Lindsay ‘disgusting and are jealous.’

Lindsay added ‘that’s just the tip of the iceberg,’ asking, ‘Just imagine how uncomfortable it is to get this in your comments, in your DM’s, every day, every week, every month?

She said that lines had been crossed past the point of the normal expectations of being in the public eye: ‘Clearly what we’re talking about isn’t criticism – this is hate – how many of you have faced true hate, not criticism, true hate?’

At that point a number of other Bachelor Nation stars, such as Tammy Ly and Alexa Caves, chimed in with their own experiences.

‘I know, as someone who’s been in your shoes, I know how much courage it takes to put yourself out there,’ Lindsay said. ‘These people who hide behind their phones and their smart devices, they don’t have even a fraction of the guts that you do to stand here today.’