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'Bachelor' contestant Victoria Fuller modeled a 'White Lives Matter' tee, and a magazine pulled her from their cover in response
- In Monday's episode of 'The Bachelor,' Victoria Fuller won a cover photo spread in Cosmopolitan magazine.
- After the episode aired, Cosmo ran a 'letter from the editor' explaining that the team decided not run the digital spread because Fuller had previously modeled in an ad campaign wearing White Lives Matter attire.
- Editor Jessica Pels wrote that the White Lives Matter movement 'does not reflect the values of the Cosmo brand.'
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On Monday's episode of The Bachelor, Victoria Fuller won a modeling challenge that landed her a digital cover in Cosmopolitan. After the episode aired, however, the magazine's editor-in-chief published a letter online alerting viewers that the cover won't be published online because the model had donned "White Lives Matter" gear during a prior gig.
"Unequivocally, the White Lives Matter movement does not reflect the values of the Cosmo brand," Editor-in-Chief Jessica Pels wrote. "We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and any cause that fights to end injustices for people of color."
Fuller, 25, is from Virginia Beach. Pels said that all her team knew about her at the time of the photoshoot, which was held in Costa Rica, was their first name and "the energy they conveyed through the camera lens."
A few weeks ago she learned that Fuller had previously modeled wearing White Lives Matters attire.
Even though it's been reported that the photoshoot was actually for a "Marlin Lives Matter" organization that is focused on preventing white and blue marlin from being overfished (the group also released "Blue Lives Matter" tees as a part of their campaign), Pels still found the phrasing rooted in racism and "therefore problematic."
Additionally, the company responsible for the clothing — WLM Apparel, also produced shirts featuring the Confederate flag. WLM Apparel's Instagram account — where the image of Fuller was first discovered — has been deactivated.
The fashion shoot in which Fuller participated printed in the March issue and the episode in which she won has already run.
"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," Pels wrote.
Peter Weber, pilot and this season's "bachelor" on "The Bachelor," told People that he believed Fuller is a good person and has "endearing qualities."
"I just hope that people can form their opinion on her based on what they see between the two of us and her time on the show," Weber told People. "She's not perfect, I'm not perfect, no one's perfect, but, yeah that's all I can really say on that."
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