HOUSTON — Two members of Bachelor Nation from the Houston area are teaming up in a defamation lawsuit against various media outlets.
Katy native and former "Bachelorette" contestant James McCoy Taylor says the outlets reported he was at the Capitol rally on January 6. He claims he wasn't there.
Editor's note: The above "Great Day Houston" interview with Taylor originally aired in 2016.
Erica Rose, a “Bachelor” contestant from Houston, is representing him in the lawsuit.
Taylor, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, told Twitter followers on January 5 he would attend the rally and even offered to pay for their plane tickets.
"Take a bus. Drive. MSG me if you need a plane ticket ... just don't make an excuse not to fight for a man who's been fighting for you for 4 years See y'all there."
When reports surfaced claiming Taylor was there on the day of the insurrection, he was roasted on social media and by other Bachelor Nation members.
Taylor later said he skipped the rally that day and went on a ski trip with friends instead.
“Not only was I not there but I absolutely & totally condemn storming our Capitol On this very platform I posted that if Biden won I would pray for him and accept him as my President (see tweet on 11/6),” Taylor posted.
He said the reports damaged his music career.
“You made me lose followers. Lose fans of my music / my livelihood. I received THOUSANDS of hate messages / threats... and I’m now publicly asking you to take down these disgustingly inaccurate articles and issue an apology,” he tweeted.
She appeared on the 9th season of “The Bachelor” featuring Italian Prince Lorenzo Borghese.
Taylor was a contestant on JoJo Fletcher’s season in 2016.