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Chris Harrison Defends Bachelorette Clare Crawley After She Seemingly Shades Matt James Over Cameo
Chris Harrison defended Bachelorette Clare Crawley after she seemingly shaded contestant Matt James over his Cameo account.
“First of all, everyone relax about the whole charity thing. Clare’s not against charity, she’s not against Matt doing charity. That’s fantastic and Matt, good on you for doing something during this quarantine that’s positive,” the show host, 48, explained during an interview with Entertainment Tonight on May 4. He assured she’s “not mad at anybody doing things for charity.”
The 39-year-old leading lady came under fire for a tweet on April 25 that seemingly called out Tyler Cameron’s BFF, 28. “If you are doing interviews and creating Cameo accounts before you are even on my season … you are in it for the wrong reasons … #dontwasteyourtime,” the Sacramento native wrote on the heels of Matt announcing he pledged all of his Cameo earnings to the Robin Hood Foundation, a nonprofit that works to fight poverty.
If you are doing interviews and creating Cameo accounts before you are even on my season… you are in it for the wrong reasons… #dontwasteyourtime
— Clare Crawley (@Clare_Crawley) April 25, 2020
While it seemed to align with Matt’s message, Chris was quick to note that Clare wasn’t “specifically” talking about the former football player. “She’s just saying she’s living under a certain set of guidelines and rules because she’s the Bachelorette,” the ABC personality added. “She’s kind of already in our family, and she’s been respecting that.”
The contestants are in a completely different place than the franchise veteran. “They’re not really part of our thing yet. And so, they’re out living their life, and they’re kind of using having been picked to be on The Bachelorette as a bit of a bouncing point,” the Dallas native continued. “So, I think, she’s just like, ‘Look, I wish everybody would respect the rules. We all play by the same rules, so when you come in, there is a sense of innocence and naivety and we can actually get through this.’” Shortly after the contestants were announced for season 16, filming was halted amid the coronavirus pandemic, creating an unprecedented situation in which fans have more time to get to know the guys before the season starts.
The hairdresser further clarified her tweet after fans accused her of targeting Matt. “It was about MULTIPLE men and a general thought I was having while we sit here in a real-life crisis where someone’s (everyone’s) time + sincerity hold so much weight and value,” she explained.
Before the drama, Matt seemed nothing but excited to get to know Clare. “I have my eyes on somebody … I think she’s in Sacramento right now, and hopefully, when this is all said and done, I’ll get a chance to meet her,” the reality stud exclusively told Life & Style. “I’ve been looking forward to it for a while now. I’m excited about that. I’ve heard a lot of good things about her and I’d really like to meet her and get to know her better.”
Don’t worry, fans, it doesn’t seem as though Clare’s statements affected Matt’s plans to appear on season 16. “As far as I know, [he’ll still be a contestant],” Chris said. “I mean, I have not heard anything different. I mean, I don’t know if he wants to do this after quarantine, who knows? But as far as I know, yes.”
We can’t wait to see what unfolds on Clare’s upcoming season!
