Chris Harrison Pushes Back on Warner Bros. Letter Over Dating Show The Vow

Chris Harrison is pushing back against a cease-and-desist letter, a formal legal demand to stop doing something, over his new dating series The Vow. The letter came from Warner Bros., which owns The Bachelor franchise, and it says the show's promotion trades on the older series.

The dispute started with a teaser. Fox Nation, the streaming service run by Fox, released a teaser for The Vow on September 16 that included nods to The Bachelor. On October 1, Warner Bros. sent a letter claiming the teaser used its intellectual property without permission. Warner Bros. Television produces The Bachelor. Fox has denied the claim that The Vow infringes copyrights and trademarks for the franchise.

The Vow is a six-episode series, hosted by Harrison, and it premieres on November 11. Harrison was himself ousted by The Bachelor franchise in 2021, a history that has fed plenty of comparisons between the two shows.

Harrison spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the letter. He said he did not recall Warner Bros. going after any other reality dating shows, and he takes the action as a sign of respect. Asked about his former employers, he said, "Sounds like somebody misses somebody really bad." He added, "Jealousy is a tough thing. Green's not a great color on anybody, is it?"

Fox Nation is also planning to put promos for The Vow on ABC stations, according to Variety, which reported the plan on October 23. ABC is the broadcast network that carries The Bachelor, so the promos would air on the same channel as the franchise it is being compared with.

For viewers, the practical question is simple. The Vow is set to arrive on November 11, and the legal disagreement has not yet changed that date. Neither side has said the dispute will be settled in court, and no further filings have been reported at the time of writing.