Entertainment

Chris Harrison Supports ’BiP’s Demi “110%” Amid The Backlash About Her Sexuality

by Marenah Dobin
John Fleenor/ABC

There have been twenty-three seasons of The Bachelor, fifteen seasons of The Bachelorette, and soon there will be six Bachelor in Paradise seasons. That means Chris Harrison has met a lot of contestants. Some he knows casually, but there are others he's close with. Add Demi Burnett to that the list. Chris Harrison is supportive of Demi's love on Bachelor in Paradise and he even said that he "has her back 100%." If that's not a ringing endorsement, then what is?

Bachelor in Paradise Season 6 has not even started airing, but there were so many stand-out moments from the trailer. One particular moment shows Demi finding love with a woman this season, but it's unclear who it is. One thing that is clear is that Chris is on board with the romance, something he discussed with Lauren Zima on the July 25 episode of The Ringer podcast. Earlier this week, Demi already posted about the mean messages and the words of encouragement she has received from fans about her relationship with a woman.

Chris emphasized on the podcast, "This [storyline], in particular, is going to be really interesting." Chris pointed out that the episodes haven't been cut yet, so he hasn't seen them, but he did say,

"I'm proud of everything we did. I stand behind everything we did 100%, and I stand behind Demi 100% and the young lady that she has in her life. I'm proud of her, I love her, and I will always have her back. 110%.

Then, he declared, "It is something that I will just say right away that I'm very proud of. I'm very excited about [it]. I find it fascinating. It's been a long time coming on this show." Yes. It. Has.

As happy as Chris is about this story, he understands that, unfortunately, not everyone will feel the same way. He admitted, "I really look forward to seeing how people will watch, accept, and take this season. I'm prepared for all that's about to come because I know it's not gonna all be positive."

Even though the episodes aren't even put together yet, the latest BIP trailer does make it clear that Demi form a very serious connection. At one point, she looked to the camera and declared, "I don't care who sees this. I know that I love this girl. I'm so happy that I found her and I can definitely picture being with her for the rest of my life."

And ultimately, the trailer concluded with Demi walking along the beach while she admitted, "I smell an engagement and it feels amazing." With that said, it's safe to say that Demi's love story will be a major part of Bachelor in Paradise Season 6 from start to finish.

Hopefully, viewers watch Demi's journey with an open mind. However, if anyone can't do that and they have the nerve to cross the line with criticism, Demi has the king of the franchise in her corner: none other than Chris Harrison.