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‘Cosmopolitan’ Pulls ‘Bachelor’ Cover After Peter Weber’s Contestant Victoria Fuller Wears ‘White Lives Matter’ Clothing

‘Cosmopolitan’ Pulls ‘Bachelor’ Cover After Peter Weber’s Contestant Victoria Fuller Wears ‘White Lives Matter’ Clothing
Victoria FullerMaarten de Boer/ABC

The Bachelor contestant Victoria Fuller was elated on the Monday, February 3, episode when she won a chance to appear on a digital cover of Cosmopolitan with Peter Weber. However, the magazine no longer plans to publish the issue after past photos surfaced of Fuller wearing “White Lives Matter” clothing in opposition of overfishing.

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“Unequivocally, the White Lives Matter movement does not reflect the values of the Cosmo brand,” editor in chief Jessica Pels wrote in a letter published on Monday. “We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and any cause that fights to end injustices for people of color.”

‘Cosmopolitan’ Pulls ‘Bachelor’ Cover After Peter Weber’s Contestant Victoria Fuller Wears ‘White Lives Matter’ Clothing
Victoria Fuller Maarten de Boer/ABC

Pels explained that she and her team “had many long discussions about how we wanted to address this issue.” The magazine had already printed Fuller and Weber’s Costa Rica photo shoot in its March 2020 issue, but the editor has since chosen not to move forward with the online version.

“Ultimately what felt right was choosing not to publish the digital cover on our website or social feeds, and simply being honest with you, the audience we respect, about what happened and where we stand,” she wrote.

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Pels said in the letter that her team was unaware of Fuller’s past “until a few weeks ago,” long after the medical sales rep, 26, and the pilot, 28, filmed Monday’s episode.

“It’s been reported that what she modeled for was actually a Marlin Lives Matter organization focused on preventing white and blue marlin from being overfished, which used ‘white lives matter’ and ‘blue lives matter’ messaging on its promotional shirts and hats,” she continued. “In my view, the nature of the organization is neither here nor there — both phrases and the belief systems they represent are rooted in racism and therefore problematic.”

‘Cosmopolitan’ Pulls ‘Bachelor’ Cover After Peter Weber’s Contestant Victoria Fuller Wears ‘White Lives Matter’ Clothing
Victoria Fuller and Peter Weber on ‘The Bachelor.’ John Fleenor/ABC

Several news outlets, including Cosmo, reported in January that Fuller modeled apparel by Marlin Lives Matter. One photo that viewers resurfaced on Twitter showed the contestant wearing a blue “WLM” trucker hat as well as a bandana featuring the same slogan hanging out of the back pocket of her shorts.

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The Virginia native previously made headlines in January after revealing that she once dated country singer Chase Rice, who performed during her one-on-one date with Weber. Rice, 34, later claimed that he and Fuller only “spent a night together” and were never in a relationship.

The Bachelor airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

Us Weekly has reached out to ABC and Fuller for comment.

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