Bachelor Nation
Where Is Chris Harrison Now? His Life Today After Bachelor Nation Scandal & Exit
Chris Harrison served as host of the Bachelor Nation franchise for 19 years before his departure in 2021. After temporarily stepping down as host following a scandal (more on that below) in February 2021, Harrison officially left the position that June.
Jesse Palmer stepped in as the permanent franchise host during Season 26 of The Bachelor in January 2022. He now hosts The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, The Golden Bachelor, and The Golden Bachelorette.
But what has Harrison been up to since his exit? Scroll down for everything we know.
What is Chris Harrison doing now?
In March 2024, it was announced that Harrison would be returning to television with two shows on Dr. Phil‘s new network Merit Street Media. In addition to cohosting a morning show with wife Lauren Zima, Harrison was also tapped to helm another reality dating series.
“It has dating elements in it, but this is so different and so novel,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “It is flipping the script in a way that I think people are gonna become addicted to it in a week. It is unbelievable.”
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In April 2024, Harrison celebrated the launch of Merit Street Media on Instagram, writing, “What a dream team! @meritstreetmedia is officially on the air. @laurenzima and I feel so blessed to be producing and hosting tv at Merit.” As of March 2025, neither of the shows have aired yet and more information has not been provided about them.
The former ABC star also has a podcast called The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever, although there has not been a new episode since November 2024.
Is Chris Harrison married?
Harrison married entertainment reporter Lauren Zima in November 2023. Several stars from Bachelor Nation were in attendance at their wedding.
This is Harrison’s second marriage. He was previously married to his high school sweetheart, Gwen Harrison, for 18 years before they called it quits in 2012. The exes share sons Joshua and Tyler.
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In May 2024, Harrison celebrated Josh’s graduation from Texas Christian University. “It seemed like yesterday we were stressing over where you would go to college and moving you in…just like that it’s over. Congratulations @joshuagharrison on graduating from @texaschristianuniversity,” he wrote. “It’s hard to put into words how proud of you we are. Now the world is yours. Go make it a better place. Continue to work hard but also live and love with all your heart. Be a success but be a good neighbor and a good citizen. Stay strong in your faith and your convictions but lead with love, empathy, grace and patience. You are more than ready for what’s next and we can’t wait to watch the incredible things you will accomplish.”
Where does Chris Harrison live?
Harrison and Zima live in Austin, Texas. They bought their home there in 2020.
“I always knew I wanted to eventually move back home to Texas,” Harrison told City Lifestyle in 2021. “I’m from Dallas, my family is here and now both my kids will even be in college at TCU (I’m so proud!). The question for me became if I would settle back home in Dallas. Since I was young, I’ve loved Austin, and when I knew my future was with Lauren — that was the real deciding factor. I realized that I wanted us to start a life together somewhere neither of us had lived, to build our own unique memories, just with us. I took her to Austin and she fell in love with the city too.”
What happened to Chris Harrison on The Bachelor?
Harrison’s exit from Bachelor Nation came during Season 25 of The Bachelor in 2021. While the season was airing, old photos of Rachael Kirkconnell, one of Matt James‘ contestants, surfaced online that showed her attending an antebellum-themed party in college.
While discussing the controversial photos in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, Harrison jumped to Kirkconnell’s defense. “This is where we need to have a little grace. Because I have seen some stuff online — this judge, jury, executioner thing — where they’re just tearing this girl’s life apart and diving into her parents and her parents’ voting record,” he said. “It’s unbelievably alarming to watch this. I haven’t heard Rachael speak on this yet, and until I actually hear this woman have a chance to speak, who am I to say any of this? I saw a picture of her at a sorority party five years ago, and that’s it.”
When Lindsay pushed back, Harrison added, “Is it a good look in 2018 or is it not a good look in 2021? Because there’s a big difference. I don’t disagree with you. You’re 100 percent right in 2021. That was not the case in 2018. I’m not defending Rachael — I just know that 50 million people who did that in 2018. That was a type of party that a lot of people went to.”
He came under fire for seemingly defending Kirkconnell’s past racist actions, which he later admitted was a “mistake.” His official exit from the show came four months later.
In 2023, Harrison opened up about the situation on his podcast for the first time. While he stood by the intention behind his message, he reiterated that he did not go about making his point the correct way. “The way I did it, it was messy, it was disappointing and it’s just not me,” he said. “My apology was warranted because I did misstep and I made a mistake.”
The Bachelor, Season 29, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC
