‘Bachelorette’ Star Rachel Lindsay on Hannah Brown’s N-Word Apology: ‘It Disappointed Me So Much’

Fellow “Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay has opened up on how she was disappointed by Hannah Brown’s apology for saying the N-word while singing the lyrics to a song on Instagram.

Lindsay, who is the only black series lead in the history of “The Bachelorette” and “The Bachelor,” said Brown told her she was going to apologize in an Instagram Live video, but then reversed course and issued a public statement.

“When Hannah and I talked, she wanted to know what my thought was as to what she should do. She said, ‘I want to ask you.’ And she was very remorseful. She was very upset. She was embarrassed. She was admitting she was wrong, and she said she wanted to go on a Live,” Lindsay told “Bachelor” alum Nick Viall in his podcast “The Viall Files” on Monday.

“She was going to go first and then bring me on,” Lindsay explained. “Twice, she got off the phone with me to tell me, ‘Okay, I’m going to go do it. I’m just going to go get ready.’ Hours later, nothing. Then, we would talk on the phone. And then, hours later, nothing again until it was ultimately decided she wanted to do a statement.”

Brown posted the apology on her Instagram story, writing “I owe you all a major apology. There is no excuse, and I will not justify what I said. I have read your messages and seen the hurt that I have caused. I own it all. I am terribly sorry and know that whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable. I promise to do better.”

According to Lindsay, Brown said she originally wanted to talk on camera so her fans could “understand where she was coming from.”

“The reason it disappointed me so much that Hannah decided to give a statement is because, [to] quote her words, ‘A statement would be insincere.’ Hannah said that ‘it felt icky to give a statement,’” Lindsay said.

The former “Bachelorette” claimed Brown’s PR team was telling her to give her apology in a statement, rather than a video.

“It was her team that was advising her to give a statement. She said, in her heart, she didn’t feel it was that way, and she felt that God had wanted her to use her platform for a bigger purpose. She was going to step up and do that. So, then to see her ultimately text me and say, ‘I’m going to give a statement’ was extremely disappointing because you said that was insincere,” Lindsay said. “So why did you, therefore, decide to do an insincere action? I’m very confused by that.”

The controversy began when Brown sang the lyrics to “Rockstar” by DaBaby in an Instagram Live video on May 17. She quickly apologized for saying the N-word in the video, expressing surprise, but then she suggested someone off camera had said it.

The social media backlash was swift, and several other “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” stars spoke out against Brown, including Tyler Cameron, Mike Johnson and Bekah Martinez.