Chris Harrison exits ‘Bachelor’ franchise after racism controversy

It was a less tꦍhan rosy sendoff for Chris Haꦆrrison.

The longtime host of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” is not coming back to the popular reality franchise, as was confirmed by him on social media Tuesday.

“I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter,” , who hosted the ABC series and spinoffs since 2002.

“I’m so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we’ve made together,” he continued. “While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.”

When contacted by The Pos🎐t, Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment released a jointꦛ statement about the change.

“Chris Harrison is stepping aside as host of ‘The Bachelor’ franchise,” they said. “We are thankful for his many contributions over the past 20 years and wish him all the best on his new journey.”

Harrison reportedly received an eight-figure settlement and is stifled by a confidentiality a🎃greement, according to .

Harrison’s apparently permanent exit from Bachelor Nation comes just hours after Monday night’s premiere of Season 17 of “The Bachelorette,” a season featuring former contestants Kaitlyn Bristowe, 35, and , 30, as . Comedian David Spade, meanwhile, to steer this summer’s “Bachelor in Paradise” spinoff.

In February, Harrison was entangled in controversy when he defended former “Bachelor” contestant Rachael Kirkconnell after pictures emerged of her attending an Antebellum-styled party. Kirkconnell eventually apologized and Harrison stepped down from his duties after ex-contestants for defending her.

“We are deeply disappointed and want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism,” many of the Season 25 contestants🧸 said in a joint statement shared on social media at the time. “Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIP꧅OC individuals. These experiences are not to be exploited or tokenized.” 

In the wake of the controversy, Page Six that Harrison had hired LA power lawyer Bryan Freeman, Gabrielle Union during a recent dispute with NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” on which the actress, 48, was a judge.

Controversy seemed to initially heat up in June 2020 after it was announced that Matt James would be the first black Bachelor in the franchise’s nearly two-decade history. At that time, former casting producer Jazzy Collins told The Post that the “whole season feels like a p.r. stunt” and took the show to task for “perpetuating black stereotypes.”