How Chris Harrison was "iced out" of The Bachelor franchise: His GMA interview with Michael Strahan was the "nail in the coffin"

The Hollywood Reporter

In March, Harrison appeared for a pre-taped interview on the seemingly "friendly confines" confines of Good Morning America in which he apologized. But Strahan wasn't buying the apology. "His apology is his apology, but it felt like I got nothing more than a surface response," said Strahan. "Only time will tell if there is any meaning behind his words.” A source close to The Bachelor production tells The Hollywood Reporter the GMA interview was "the nail in the coffin” for Harrison’s return. While Harrison was given private assurances from higher-ups that he should remain patient and that they wanted him back, the lack of public support led Harrison to hire high-powered attorney Bryan Freedman to represent him. In the days leading up to The Bachelorette premiere earlier this month, the news of David Spade and other guest-hosts filling in for Harrison on Bachelor in Paradise made the rift untenable. “Both sides had the intention of Chris returning, and he was putting in the work in order to make that happen," the source tells The Hollywood Reporter. " And then it suddenly took a turn. He was iced out." Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter's report notes that while Deadline reported Harrison received a “mid-range eight-figure payoff,” a source says that number is inflated, although the actual amount was still sizable.