00:00The creator of The Bachelor is leaving the franchise following allegations of racial
00:03discrimination. Mike Fleiss announced his departure last week after 21 years with the show,
00:08in what appears to be a voluntary and amicable decision. But shortly after, Variety revealed
00:12that Fleiss had been under a month-long investigation by Warner Brothers and ABC
00:16following a string of employee complaints to HR about him. Producers of The Bachelor say Fleiss
00:20displayed quote bully behavior and would quote lash out at those who suggested casting more
00:25diverse stars, allegedly even saying quote minorities don't get ratings. The Bachelor
00:29has long been criticized for a lack of racial diversity. It wasn't until 2017 when the franchise
00:33featured its first black bachelorette Rachel Lindsay and 2021 its first black bachelor Matt
00:38James. The show has also never casted an Asian lead. In a statement, Fleiss admitted that the
00:42franchise quote didn't keep up with the pace of social change during his 21 years on the show
00:47and quote could have done more to improve diversity. The upcoming season of The Bachelorette
00:51will feature its fourth black lead Charity Lawson with an all-white executive producing team.
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