Matt James Speaks On "Negative Depictions Of Black Fathers" On The Bachelor

After reconnecting with his estranged father during The Bachelor‘s episode on Monday, Matt James posted about the exchange on social media.

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Matt James is giving his two cents on the difficult, personal conversation he shares with his estranged father on The Bachelor this week.

The reality star took to social media on Monday to address the exchange that viewers witnessed earlier in the evening between himself and his dad, Manny James. Fans watched as the bachelor engaged in a candid sit down with his father to address his upbringing and issues with commitment.

“There’s still a lot of fear about what a long-term commitment looks like based on what I’ve seen in my family in the past, and that’s not healthy,” James tells the camera during the scene. “I still have a lot of fear about what commitment looks like based on him and my mom’s relationship. And that’s not something I want to carry with me. Harboring that negativity in my life hasn’t progressed any of my relationships. It’s hindered my growth. And for me to move forward, I need to address those demons in my life.”

Matt–who has spoken about being raised by his mom multiple times throughout the series–emphasized the fact that it’s tough for fans to watch the chat without knowing the full context of the situation. James took to Twitter to share his thoughts following the show.

“Tonight’s convo with my dad was hard to experience, and it’s just as hard to watch all this time later, especially knowing the world is watching with me,” Matt tweeted. “I just wanted to say that too often, we see dangerous stereotypes and negative depictions of Black fathers in media. And they have consequences when presented without context.”

He continued, “All I hope is that people watch that conversation with nuance, care and also an understanding that there are real systemic issues at play. I’m so proud of myself for being vulnerable, and I’m so proud of my mother. I wouldn’t be who I am without my dad. That’s a fact.”

Fresh off the Chris Harrison controversy, Rachel Lindsay also appeared to reference the conversation in a post on her Instagram Story shortly after the episode aired last night.

“You guys, I’m breaking my hiatus from talking about The Bachelor in light of what I saw tonight on tonight’s episode,” she wrote. She continued, saying that she “can’t keep quiet” about the episode’s “perpetuation of stereotypes in the black community.”