Charity Lawson, the latest ‘Bachelorette,’ is not here for your judgment

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Charity Lawson is fully aware that “The Bachelorette” doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to participants find lasting love.

“The Bachelor” franchise as a whole has seen most of its couples fail at creating a happily ever after, but Lawson isn’t focused on that.

“I hate to say I don’t look at the stats, but I don’t,” she recently told CNN. “I’m truly making this my own journey, and it’s not reflective of anybody else who’s done this show.”

It’s for that same reason the child and family therapist is not fretting as to whether viewers will approve of her final choice.

And while Lawson knows plenty of people have landed on the dating reality show looking for fame, that’s not her motivation.

“I came here truly looking for my person,” Lawson said.

Having come in fourth place on Season 27 of “The Bachelor” with Zach Shallcross, Lawson is the fourth Black “Bachelorette” in the history of the franchise.

She answers questions with self-assurance, as viewers of the show have come to expect.

No, she hasn’t talked directly to the first Black Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay, but Lindsay has reached out to offer her well wishes.

Yes, Lawson is fully healed from her experience with Shallcross.

She said she’s enjoying watching how her season is playing out on TV.

“It’s exciting, it’s fun but also some things are a shock because I didn’t see everything that happened in the house,” Lawson said. “Seeing and hearing their interviews and them talk about certain situations, or seeing how things are playing out it’s like, ‘Oh so this is really what’s going on. This is how you really felt about this. That differed from what you told me in that moment.’ That part has been very surprising.”

She also gets to watch along with the fans known as Bachelor Nation, who have had a lot to say – especially about the perceived villain this season, Brayden. (He was eliminated from the show on the episode that aired after this interview.)

While Lawson gave away no spoilers, she did laugh at the mention of social media being up in arms about Brayden’s behavior, which appeared one way in front of Lawson and another with his fellow contestants .

“It’s a TV show. Have fun,” she said. “Everyone enjoy because he’s great. He’s entertaining. I will say that Bayden is an entertaining time.”

Her biggest takeaway has been less about what she learned about the men vying for her heart and more about what she learned about herself, Lawson said.

She made sure she was “taking every single moment in day of that journey step by step, being present and not getting caught up really in the outcome.”

“Because, as you know, in ‘Bachelor’ world, things can change by a second or by a day,” she said. “So just never lose sight of your purpose of why you’re there.”

“The Bachelorette” airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

The-CNN-Wire
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