Will you accept this somewhat verified and wildly shareable bit of gossip? With rumors swirling that Tayshia Adams is replacing Clare Crawley as the newest Bachelorette lead for reasons still unclear, the show released a short teaser that seemingly confirms the presence of both women in the upcoming season. While Crawley’s likeness is prominently featured in the teaser, a silhouette of a woman wearing a ball gown looks similar to Adams, which is the closest the franchise has come to confirming the widespread reports of the switch. Over the weekend, the narrative that emerged from Crawley’s Bachelorette season, which has been filming at a quarantined resort near Palm Springs, is the following: Crawley fell in love with contestant Dale Moss within two weeks, and asked producers to leave the show with him out of respect for other contestants. Adams was thus called in as a mid-season replacement. It’s believed that the season will feature both women’s journeys, which would be a franchise first.
Various Bachelor Nation alums have been praising the abrupt (but welcome) casting switch since it began making headlines on August 3. Rachel Lindsay, the first Black Bachelorette lead, noted that Adams will now be the second. “When I stepped in as Bachelorette, I wanted to pave a way for more diversity, for more people who look like me and who didn’t look like the typical lead. So to see another Bachelorette of color, I’m thrilled,†she said. “I have been fighting for inclusion, and I’ve said before that Tayshia would be an excellent Bachelorette, so I am more than happy to pass the torch.†Colton Underwood, who led the Bachelor season that Adams competed on, congratulated her on Twitter. “Good luck,†he wrote, “and I hope you find yourself a better kisser.†Ali Fedotowsky, the sixth Bachelorette, also praised the switch and thought it was “awesome†for the show “to let that happen.â€