ABC's 'The Bachelor' slapped with racial discrimination lawsuit
Two Nashville men claim the show is unwilling to consider applicants of color
Ben Flajnik and Courtney Robertson on last season's edition of 'The Bachelor'.
Credit: ABC
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two black men are taking "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" to court with a lawsuit that claims the reality shows are blocking contestants of color from starring roles.
Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson filed a federal lawsuit in Nashville Wednesday. It says the popular TV shows are engaged in a pattern of racial discrimination that intentionally excludes people of color.
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The lawsuit names Michael Fleiss, the creator of the shows, as well as ABC, Warner Horizon Television, Next Entertainment and NZK Productions.
Calls and emails to Fleiss' publicist and an email to an ABC publicist were not immediately returned.
The Nashville residents, one a small business owner and the other a teacher, applied unsuccessfully last year for the leading role in "The Bachelor."
The suit say white applicants are featured prominently in the shows because of a calculation that "minorities in lead roles and interracial dating in unappealing to the shows' audience."
"The refusal to hire minority applicants is a conscious attempt to minimize the risk of alienating their majority-white viewership and the advertisers targeting that viewership. Nevertheless, such discrimination is impermissible under federal law."
Copyright (2012) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupChrissy
April 18, 2012 at 9:32PM EST Reply to CommentDoes that mean they've never had a single non-white contestant, or not one who made it far along in the competition, out of curiosity?
dan Chrissy - They've never had a non-white "Bachelor" or "Bachelorette." There have been minority contestants, but I'd be at a loss to tell you how far the furthest one has advance, but "not far."
April 18, 2012 at 9:36PM EST-Daniel
SFJD
April 29, 2012 at 6:29PM EST Reply to Commenthttp://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2012/04/27/producers-the-bachelor-sued-racial-discrimination/
sabotkin
May 15, 2012 at 12:52AM EST Reply to CommentIf they had an all black show it would get low ratings, its that simple, it has nothing to do with discrimination and everything to do with ratings. The reason is minority audiences are much smaller. Thats why there called " minority" hello
sabotkin
May 15, 2012 at 12:57AM EST Reply to CommentAnd ABC/Disney sold out at put a "gratuitous" black man on, just apease the nay sayers. What a joke. He's probobly a great guy but has no chance with her . Watch!!!