Matt James Is Frustrated That People Are Preoccupied With Winner's Race

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Last week, our Culture Editor Veronica Wells questioned the likelihood of “Bachelor” star Matt James selecting a Black contestant as the winner. Her op-ed piece was in response to a series of interviews James had with a handful of publications, which you can read more about here. Well, James recently addressed the speculation about the race of his potential bride-to-be and he’s quite agitated by the commentary.

During a recent appearance on “Bachelor Happy Hour,” James told “Bachelorette” alum, Rachel Lindsey, that it was “low-key frustrating” that the race of the contestants is even a topic of discussion.

“First off, people should, regardless of what they look like, want you to be happy with whoever you’re with,” he said. “And if you knew anything about me, if you were close to me, you would know that the last women that I dated were all Black women.”

James, who is biracial, went on to note that he has dated women of many races in the past and suggested that race should not be a factor when dating.

“When you’re dating somebody, if you’re excluding a race, then I don’t even know where to begin on that. What I’m looking for in a woman isn’t race-specific,” James added. “What I’m looking for may upset somebody. What I’m looking for isn’t a race. I don’t only exclusively date Black women. I don’t only exclusively date white women. I’ve dated all across the board, and I’ve found redeeming qualities in everybody, which is a blessing, and that’s why it’s so difficult for me throughout this season.”

Only time will tell how this all plays out.