Tayshia Adams calls Chris Harrison stepping aside 'absolutely' the right move

By George Costantino

Tayshia Adams has weighed in on Chris Harrison's announcement that he'll be stepping away from his "Bachelor" hosting duties "for a period of time," saying it was "absolutely" the right move.

Harrison made the decision after facing controversy following remarks he made during an interview with former "Bachelor" contestant Rachel Lindsay last week, suggesting that Rachael Kirkconnell, a contestant on the current season of "The Bachelor," deserved "compassion" after social media posts of hers showed the 24-year-old graphic designer dressed up as a Native American person and attending an antebellum plantation-themed ball.

"His words affected a lot of people, you know, myself included," Adams, the most recent "Bachelorette," said during Thursday's episode of the "Click Bait with Bachelor Nation" podcast. "I think that by him taking ownership -- and not just, saying, issue an apology and then just going back to work the next day like nothing happened -- speaks volumes on his behalf."

Adams, 30, added that Harrison's apology "meant a lot to her," particularly his assertions that "by excusing historical racism" he had "defended it" and this being "not just a moment, but a commitment to much greater understanding" he will "actively make each day."

However, Adams said she also believes in second chances, citing her fiancé Zac Clark, who has been open about his past alcohol and drug addiction and now works as an addiction recovery specialist.

"I feel like we have to allow people to prove us wrong, and prove themselves," she explained. "And I've learned this even in my relationship. I mean, Zachary used to be an addict and he's done a lot of wrong, in a time that I never even knew of him, and he needed somebody to give him a second chance in order to prove himself."