Jazzy Collins, a former casting producer for “The Bachelor” franchise, is demanding change both on and off camera for future seasons of the hit series.
In an open letter to ABC, Collins said that she was the only Black person in the casting office for the five seasons she worked there.
She was initially hired to help find a “diverse cast” for the franchise’s first Black “Bachelorette,” Rachel Lindsay.
However, that change was shortlived. The former producer stated that during her time spent with ABC after Lindsay’s season, the series went back to the “status quo” and wasn’t seriously looking to cast men or women of colour besides “the token Black person, Asian person or Latinx person to satisfy what you believe to be the needs of the viewers.”
“Women with afros, braids, locs, etc; weren’t even given a chance because of the white standards of beauty,” she alleged.
“My hope was that having a racially diverse cast of gentlemen would be an important milestone that would continue into the future. That was not the case,” she said in her letter.
Collins added: “Your show has whitewashed for decades, inside and out. Your head of post-production is white. Your casting director is white. Your executive in charge is white.”
Although she’s happy that the franchise finally decided to cast Matt James as their first Black “Bachelor”, Collins is asking for much more to be done.
“I am calling on you to select a diverse cast and production team for season 25 of The Bachelor and moving forward. Not only is it important to have a diverse cast reflect what the rest of America looks like, it’s important for the production and casting teams to be able to share the same experiences as the cast members,” she continued.
“A Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous man or woman should not have to walk on a set for up to eight weeks and stare at a crowd of white faces while they pour their heart out on national TV without also having a diverse, understanding team to guide them through the process,” she said.
ET Canada has reached out to ABC for comment.
RELATED: Catherine Lowe On Being Cast On ‘The Bachelor’ To ‘Check’ A Diversity Box
Check out Collins’ full letter above.
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