'Bachelor' contestant sparks heated debate for allegedly promoting 'White Lives Matter' merch

Justin Chan

A "Bachelor" contestant has sparked heated debate for allegedly modeling for a White Lives Matter clothing brand.

A Twitter user took to the social media platform on Jan. 6 to share a photo of Victoria Fuller — a 25-year-old medical sales representative from Virginia Beach, Va., and current contestant on the show's 24th season — wearing a "WLM" hat.

"Victoria f modeled for a white lives matter clothing brand," the user wrote. "She's gotta go."

As of Wednesday afternoon, the tweet has been shared nearly 7,000 times and has sparked mixed reactions.

"Why is anyone even surprised by bachelor/bachelorette contestants being involved in buffoonery like this and more importantly why do people continue to watch these shows season after season of the same white people?" one person wrote in response. "I've never understood."

Others attempted to defend Fuller, pointing out that the brand was, in fact, raising awareness about something else with its fish logo.

"It’s about marlin fishing you dummies," one user tweeted. "Didn’t you read the shirt that says blue lives matter. White lives is talking about white marlins ... def not the best thing to put on a shirt for sure but it’s not talking about white people lives matter."

"Uh...if you actually look into it it’s for the conservation fo the white marlin. you know....the fish," another wrote. "Don’t take everything as it initially looks."

Yet, in another image that the original poster shared, a model wears a shirt with a faux Confederate flag, evoking racial undertones.

Fuller has been the center of controversy for quite some time. In October 2019, entertainment blog RealitySteve reported that the 25-year-old had broken several of her friends' marriages by being involved with their partners. A month later, Fuller took to Instagram to indirectly deny the allegations in a long post.

"The RUMORS you are hearing are FALSE," part of the post reads. "There will be a time & place where I can defend myself, but for now I choose to wait. HOWEVER, bullying is NOT ok. Nor is it fair. Especially when casting judgement and basing opinions upon pure speculation, assumptions, & LIES."

View this post on Instagram

JEREMIAH 29:11 I’d like to start off by saying thank you to all of my family & friends for the overwhelming support. Even to the strangers who have reached out to show me kindness. THANK YOU. The RUMORS you are hearing are FALSE. There will be a time & place where I can defend myself, but for now I choose to wait. HOWEVER, bullying is NOT ok. Nor is it fair. Especially when casting judgement and basing opinions upon pure speculation, assumptions, & LIES. With that being said— On my best days & especially on my worst days I look to a friend. The best friend I’ve ever had in my life. He does not judge me for what I look like. He does not throw stones when I am down. He makes me smile when I am mad. Licks my tears when I am sad. Lays on my chest when my anxiety is through the roof. And paws my face when I can’t get out of bed some days to tell me, ‘Hey! I’m here. You’re enough. Remember that.’ That friend is my Black Lab, Buxton. I’m so proud to say that my boy is in training to become a #therapydog. Buxton has served as my personal service dog for over a year now, but his new role will be a little different. As a therapy dog Buxton will be providing comfort to children in hospitals, affection to elderly in retirement homes, love to those who may be having a hard time at school, & others who maybe just need a hug! Life will throw you curveballs, but sometimes all you need is some love & loyalty from a 4 legged friend willing to catch those curveballs for you. We may not always know the WHY, but we can rely on the fact that there is a reason. A reason to keep pushing forward wherever we may be in life. A reason that is a lot bigger than us. I trust that God & the Universe are showing me the way. . . . . & just remember.. we all have a story.

A post shared by Victoria Fuller (@vlfuller) on Nov 22, 2019 at 1:46pm PST

Fuller is one of 30 contestants vying for former "Bachelorette" contestant and pilot Peter Weber's heart.

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