This feud is getting ugly.
On Tuesday’s episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan, host Kelly Ripa criticized the mega-popular reality show The Bachelor. “Guys, you know how I feel about this show. It disgusts me," Ripa told the audience. “And I thought that I was disgusted because I couldn’t stand the idea of 25 exceptional women fighting over one ordinary fella, in my opinion. You know how I feel, ladies: We are too special to be arguing over a guy.”
Shortly after the 49-year-old television personality expressed her opinion, both Bachelor host Chris Harrison and Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss tried to come for her. “Look out #BachelorNation [Kelly Ripa] is coming after you and your ‘disgusting’ Monday night habit," Harrison tweeted. Fleiss took it to the next level when he claimed the Bachelor franchise "pays [Ripa's] salary."
Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo caught wind of Fleiss's comments and took to Twitter to defend Ripa. "Okay [Fleiss]...that's some handle bro! Your show does NOT pay [Ripa's] salary. Also we don't attack successful women on our network and men certainly cannot take credit for their success. Don't get me started on your show cuz I'm a savage...#bachelorsoooowhite."
A source close to Ripa spoke to People about the feud, as well, saying Fleiss and Harrison are only drawing more attention to the flaws Ripa was pointing out. “It seems the fear of rejection runs deep over there. Do these guys really want to bring attention to the fact that people should stop and look more closely at the completely outdated misogynistic nature of this show and its offensive premise of demeaning its participants?” the source said.
“They can’t handle lighthearted criticism from a successful woman who has been on TV longer than their contestants have been alive,” the source continued. “Kelly’s time at Live predates these shows by years, so if anything, her success in syndication and promotion of these shows pays their salaries.”
“Kelly has always slammed [The Bachelor & The Bachelorette] in the past with way worse comments, so why engage her now? Because they must be getting desperate," the source concluded.
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