How's this for a spoiler? On last night's episode of The Bachelor, Nick Viall gave Rachel Lindsay a rose, making her one of the four ladies vying for a Neil Lane ring and a short-lived engagement. Later that night, however, Lindsay popped up on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where Chris Harrison introduced her as the new Bachelorette. So... things didn't work out with Nick?
Harrison confirmed rumors that Lindsay, a 31-year-old lawyer from Dallas, would be the show's first Black Bachelorette, countering speculation that the network would hold back on making a diverse move. Happily, ABC proved that theory wrong.
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Meet the new Bachelorette! @TheRachLindsay #TheBachelorette @ChrisBHarrison #BachelorNation pic.twitter.com/0gyfvjFOVv
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) February 14, 2017
According to Lindsay, she was approached to star on The Bachelorette soon after leaving Viall's season. While it seems ludicrous that Viall would let Lindsay, universally acknowledged as being supremely out of his league, go home, she hinted at "heartbreak" in her interview with Kimmel. Fingers crossed that's just heartbreak and guilt over dumping Nick after catching him in another Corinne whipped cream hump-fest.
In an interview with People, Lindsay addressed her progressive casting.
"I’m happy to represent myself as a Black woman in front of America and I’m happy for America to rally behind me and see what it’s like for me to be on this journey to find love,” she shared. “Honestly, it’s not going to be that different from any other season of The Bachelorette.
"I’m obviously nervous and excited to take on this opportunity but I don’t feel added pressure being the first Black Bachelorette, because to me I’m just a Black woman trying to find love. Yes, I’m doing on this huge stage, but again my journey of love isn’t any different just because my skin color is.”
We're excited to watch. We just have one request: Please, for the love of all things good and holy, DO NOT BRING BACK NICK.