Not having it. Matt James addressed the viral body-shaming comments that his pal Jerry made about contestant Victoria Larson while playing golf — and it’s behavior that the Bachelor does not tolerate.
“That’s never something that I condone or stand for. It’s just a constant reminder that you need to be smart about the people you surround yourself with,” the real estate broker, 29, said on The Real on Thursday, January 28. “Those moments when you’re in sports and people are trying to say things to you to throw things off your game, it’s sad that someone would think saying something like that about a woman that I was dating would deter me from what I was trying to do.”
James claimed that he “said something” to Jerry, whose real name is Gerard Gilfone, off-camera. “Something along the lines of, ‘Victoria wouldn’t have given him a second look.’ It’s always the pot calling the kettle black,” he explained. “Who is he to comment on someone’s body? It’s such a low blow for any man to try and take a dig at something like that.”
The reality star added, “That’s not my character and that’s not what I’m about. It’s a shame that that’s even associated with what was going on. I apologize on his behalf. I don’t know if you’ll get it from him, but that’s not something I support or stand for.”
Earlier this week, footage circulated across Bachelor fan accounts of Jerry trying to distract James as he prepared to putt. “How was Victoria’s body? You know, cause when I look at her, it doesn’t look very nice,” he said at the time, causing many members of the group to erupt in laughter. “And you’ve been making out with this woman.”
Larson, 28, responded to the Bachelornation.Scoop Instagram account’s post of the clip, writing, “Cute…. I love my body :).” The self-proclaimed “Queen” followed up by sharing pics of herself in a chic black bikini.
Not long after her arrival at the Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, the former flight attendant became known as the season’s villain. On night one, she stepped out of the limo to greet James while wearing a tiara on her head.
“I’m Victoria, like the queen, and I’m looking for a king with a good heart. So, I heard that’s you, King Matt,” she told James during the January 4 premiere. “Queen Victoria is here. I know I’m so confident and so fun, I know I made a good impression, so I just wanna put, like, my best foot forward. … I am the queen of this kingdom.”
Larson has since butted heads with fellow contestants, including Marylynn Sienna and Sarah Trott. However, she recently said on Good Morning America that she wouldn’t label herself as a bad guy.
“Honestly, it was all in good fun,” she said while defending her actions on the show on Tuesday, January 26. “If my words or actions hurt anyone, like, I sincerely apologize and I’ll do better and hold myself accountable. I’m not a bully. I’m really not.”
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