Chris Harrison says the legal warning over promotion for his new dating series, The Vow, feels “personal.”
Warner Bros. Television, which produces The Bachelor, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Fox News Media and Lionsgate Alternative Television, the companies behind the project.
The 55-year-old discussed the disagreement in an interview with USA TODAY published October 22.
Harrison is both the host and an executive producer of the series. His wife, entertainment correspondent Lauren Zima, also serves as an executive producer.
Harrison Questions Why His Show Was Singled Out
“I don’t see them going after the 50, 60, 70 other relationship dating shows that have come on in the time that I was there or since I left,” Harrison said.
“There’s been one show that they’ve gone after. Is that a coincidence? You be the judge.”
A Warner Bros. Television representative declined USA TODAY’s request for comment on his remarks.
A Rose Teaser Prompted Warner Bros.’ Warning
The September 16 teaser featured falling rose petals and Harrison approaching a red rose on the ground. Its slogan was “Roses fade, true love lasts forever.”
Two days later, Warner Bros. sent its warning. According to TheWrap, which reviewed the correspondence, the studio argued that the imagery copied recognizable promotional elements of its franchise and traded on the audience’s association with Harrison.
The studio also challenged a mansion image that it believed recalled the Bachelor Mansion, along with the teaser’s use of the words “the bachelor,” according to Mediaite’s account of the letter.
Fox’s lawyers responded on September 24. They disputed Warner Bros.’ claim to falling rose imagery or the words “the bachelor” when used to describe an unmarried man, and accused the studio of trying to restrict a competitor’s advertising.
Fox also argued that the teaser parodied familiar dating-show conventions, pointing to Harrison’s decision to leave the rose behind.
Warner Bros. said in its letter that it had not seen the series and had no objection to Harrison hosting another dating program in itself.
Fox Nation Plans Ads During ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
The promotional campaign will include local commercial slots on ABC-affiliated stations in nearly a dozen markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas.
TMZ reported that advertisements are planned during the November 12 broadcast of Grey’s Anatomy in several of those markets.
Harrison’s ‘Bachelor’ Run Ended in 2021
Harrison hosted The Bachelor and its spinoffs from 2002 until 2021. His departure followed criticism of an Extra interview with Rachel Lindsay in which he defended contestant Rachael Kirkconnell over photographs of her attending an antebellum-themed fraternity event in 2018.
He apologized and initially stepped away from hosting. Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment confirmed his permanent exit that June, as ABC News reported at the time.
‘The Vow’ Follows One Man and 10 Women
The series centers on Jace Cates, a 30-year-old mortgage loan officer from Oregon, as he dates 10 women seeking marriage.
The October 22 promo introduced the contestants, including Kylee Russell, who previously appeared on The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise.
According to Fox Nation’s announcement, the dates and challenges will explore faith, family, communication and long-term compatibility. Participants are encouraged to leave if they believe a relationship has no future.
Sean and Catherine Lowe, who met on The Bachelor, are scheduled to appear to offer relationship advice.
The six-episode series begins streaming on Fox Nation with two episodes on November 11. New installments follow on Wednesdays, with the finale scheduled for December 9.