Last night (Feb 3) on The Bachelor controversial contestant Victoria Fuller won a Cosmo fashion challenge. The prize was a digital cover of Cosmo. But now, the magazine has published a letter from the editor explaining why they won’t be publishing the digital cover featuring Victoria after all.
Cosmo’s editor, Jessica Pels, explains that the crew flew down to Costa Rica for the challenge not knowing anything about the contestants, due to the secrecy around Bachelor plot points. “When my team and I flew down to Costa Rica for our challenge, we weren’t told who our models were going to be. We didn’t even meet them until we were all on camera on-set, ready to start our shoot,” Pel explained.
“So when it came time for me to choose the winner of the challenge,” said Pels, “all I knew about the contestants were their first names and the energy they conveyed through the camera lens. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I found out that the woman I’d chosen had, in her past, modeled in an ad campaign wearing White Lives Matter attire.”
However, It’s been reported that what Victoria modeled for was actually a Marlin Lives Matter organization focused on preventing white and blue marlin from being overfished, which used “white lives matter” and “blue lives matter” messaging on its promotional shirts and hats.
Still, it was a big NOPE for Cosmo.
“In my view,” Pels wrote, “the nature of the organization is neither here nor there—both phrases and the belief systems they represent are rooted in racism and therefore problematic.” So…optics. The campaign used confederate imagery as well, which would be particularly problematic. See the little marlons festooning the Confederate cross? OK then!
victoria f modeled for a white lives matter clothing brand she’s gotta go #TheBachelor ? pic.twitter.com/OX7oajqjIF
— rach against the machine (@rchlmllnd) January 7, 2020
“Unequivocally, the White Lives Matter movement does not reflect the values of the Cosmo brand,” explained Pels. “We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and any cause that fights to end injustices for people of color.”
The Virginia Beach native has rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way. And according to Bachelor spoiler, Reality Steve, her history is complicated. What would the Bachelor franchise be without controversial contestants?
For more shenanigans, tune in on Wednesday Feb 5 at 8 pm ET/PT for a special midweek edition of The Bachelor.
