After reuniting with his estranged father, reality star Matt James addresses “Negative Depictions of Black Fathers” and encouraged viewers to watch “with nuance.”
Matt James addressed the emotional exchange that viewers witnessed earlier on the ABC dating series. Matt was raised by his mom and it’s tough for fans to watch the chat without knowing the real scenario. Matt mentioned that there are lots of outside factors that may have been involved in this case.
The 29-year-old star said, “Tonight’s convo with my dad was hard to experience, and it’s just as hard to watch all this time later, especially knowing the world is watching with me,”
Then Matt posted. “I just wanted to say that too often, we see dangerous stereotypes and negative depictions of Black fathers in media. And they have consequences when presented without context.”
He also said “All I hope is that people watch that conversation with nuance, care, and also an understanding that there are real systemic issues at play. I’m so proud of myself for being vulnerable, and I’m so proud of my mother. I wouldn’t be who I am without my dad. That’s a fact.”