(AP)
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Two black men are taking The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to court with a lawsuit that claims the reality shows are blocking contestants of color from starring roles. Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson filed a federal lawsuit in Nashville today against the popular TV shows claiming they are engaged in a pattern of racial discrimination that intentionally excludes people of color. The Nashville men said at a casting call in August that they were given scant consideration compared to white men seeking a leading role for The Bachelor.
Their attorneys said it is the first racial discrimination lawsuit filed against a reality show. It does not ask for a specific dollar amount of damages, but it does propose to make changes in the selection process. The two men say that after 10 years and a combined total of 23 seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, neither show has featured a single person of color in a central role.
