The Bachelor franchise has millions of fans tuning in every week, but it seems not everyone is on board with the drama. Recently, Kelly Ripa and Ellen Pompeo made their feelings clear, and it wasn’t all love and roses. Let’s break down what went down when these two powerhouse women took on the dating show juggernaut.

Kelly Ripa Goes Bold on Live With Kelly and Ryan

On the May 14 episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan, Kelly Ripa, the beloved daytime talk show host, didn’t hold back her thoughts about The Bachelor. The 48-year-old, known for her candid opinions, expressed her disdain for the show in no uncertain terms. “Guys, you know how I feel about this show. It disgusts me,” she said bluntly, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Kelly went on to explain why she finds the show so off-putting: “And I thought that I was disgusted because I couldn’t stand the idea of 25 exceptional women fighting over one ordinary fella, in my opinion. You know how I feel, ladies: We are too special to be arguing over a guy.”

Her comments didn’t go unnoticed. The Bachelor’s creator, Mike Fleiss, and host Chris Harrison quickly responded. Chris took to Twitter with a playful but pointed jab, writing, “Look out #BachelorNation ⁦@KellyRipa⁩ is coming after you and your ‘disgusting’ Monday night habit.” Meanwhile, Mike Fleiss chimed in, claiming that the franchise essentially pays Kelly’s salary. Now, that’s quite the bold statement, isn’t it?

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Ellen Pompeo Steps In to Defend Kelly

Ellen Pompeo, the star of Grey’s Anatomy and also part of the ABC family, wasn’t about to let Mike Fleiss’ comment slide. On May 16, Ellen fired back with a strong defense of her colleague. “Okay @fleissmeister… that’s some handle bro! Your show does NOT pay @KellyRipa salary,” she tweeted. Ellen didn’t stop there. She went on to call out the culture of attacking successful women and pointed out the lack of diversity in The Bachelor franchise with the hashtag #bachelorsoooowhite, a clear critique of the show’s long-standing diversity issues.

Okay @fleissmeister… that’s some handle bro! Your show does NOT pay @KellyRipa salary. Also we don’t attack successful women on our network and men certainly cannot take credit for their success. Don’t get me started on your show cuz I’m a savage…. #bachelorsoooowhite
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) May 16, 2019

Ellen Pompeo’s Track Record of Speaking Out

It’s no surprise that Ellen Pompeo would step into the fray. She’s always been a champion for standing up against social media bullies and defending herself and others. Ellen once shared that she faced severe backlash when she celebrated people of color. “If I celebrate anything black, I inevitably get a million comments, ‘Why are you?’” she revealed during a conversation with Jada Pinkett Smith on Red Table Talk. Ellen knows where these comments come from: “Of course, they are [from white people]. They are threatened by my love of people of color or black culture,” she added, referencing her own interracial marriage.

As for Kelly Ripa, she hasn’t responded to Mike or Chris’s comments yet. But one thing is clear: this debate has sparked a larger conversation about the dynamics of reality TV and the importance of representation in media.