“Bachelorette” star Erich Schwer is called out for a recently surfaced photo from his high school textbook of him wearing blackface.
The photo shows the 29-year-old real estate analyst wearing an Afro wig and a colorful shirt paired with skin covered in dark cosmetics.
The photo is accompanied by the following quote from Schwer: “It was swell.”
Bachelor Nation’s response to the offensive image was anything but heaving.
“at this point what? [contestant] doesn’t have things like this coming out about them, I’m tired,” wrote one fan via Twitter, acknowledging the myriad of racist controversies that plagued the reality TV franchise long before Schwer’s.
Another person claimed to have more information about the occasion for which Schwer deemed blackface appropriate.
“I flipped through it. The event was a ‘Night of the Stars’ fundraiser they do every year. I have no idea who Erich should be,” they wrote.
“I didn’t see anyone else in blackface, but a group of students showed up as the Jamaican bobsled team, complete with caps and bobsleigh. Even then old.”
Another person expressed disappointment with Schwer as he served as a peer leader at his school in New Jersey.
“It’s ironic that he was a peer leader while setting the example of blackface to the students,” they tweeted. “Yes but.”
While fans were disgusted by Schwer’s racially insensitive actions, someone said they were “not surprised” to track down a photo of him celebrating SantaCon in New York City with a group of men wearing “Make America Great Again” hats.
“This photo with his ‘second family’ wearing MAGA hats came out a while ago, so unfortunately I’m not surprised,” they tweeted alongside a screenshot of the photo.
Schwer took to Instagram on Thursday to post an apology for the blackface photo, a day after it began circulating on social media.
“I sincerely apologize for the insensitive photo of me in Blackface from my high school yearbook circulating. What I thought at the time reflected my love for Jimi Hendrix was nothing but ignorance,” he wrote.
“I was naive of the hurtful implications of my actions to the black community and those closest to me, and will forever regret my abusive and harmful behavior,” continued Schwer. “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and understand that my apology is only the first step in taking responsibility.”
Vidak For Congress has reached out to ABC and Warner Bros., which produces the “Bachelor” franchise, for additional comment.
Schwer has made it far in the competition for the heart of “Bachelorette” Gabby Windey.
The pair grew particularly close after Schwer introduced Windey, 31, to his late father – who was battling terminal cancer at the time of filming – during an emotional birth date.
Teasers for the rest of the season, however, suggest that he and Windey, 31, hit a snag in their romance over concerns of her getting intimate with another lover during fantasy suites in Mexico.
“The Bachelorette” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.