Season 25 Bachelorstar Matt James shocked Bachelor Nation on Thursday, Jan. 16 when he posted an image from the first time he met Rachael Kirkconnell. The message that followed was not what fans were expecting.
“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts. Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord 💔,” he wrote in the caption while turning off the comment section on the post. Viewers scratched their heads over the awkward message and some fans speculated that it was all a prank.
Well, it seems the breakup rumors are all true after the 28-year-old Kirkconnell “liked” a comment from a follower on her last December 2024 Instagram post. “The more I’m thinking about it, the more I think he completely blindsided her with this,” the fan wrote. “Give her some grace and let her respond in her own time.”
According to Us Weekly, the couple had been having problems over the last few months, stemming from James’ inability to “commit” to his girlfriend of four years. “It was hard for Rachael to trust him,” an insider told the media outlet. “Rachael really wanted to get married and settle down and they were not on the same page. She felt like she was waiting around, and he would never give her what she wanted.”
The split wasn’t a shock, but apparently James’ insensitive Instagram post was. The former duo is “very upset” by their situation, but Kirkconnell is “ready to move on” since she’s done waiting for the 33-year-old reality star to propose. This isn’t the first time the former couple has weathered through controversy either.
Even though Kirkconnell won James’ heart on The Bachelor (no engagement ring though), her racially insensitive actions during her sorority years, attending plantation-themed parties and “liking” snapshots with the Confederate flag, surfaced while the pre-taped show aired. James broke up with her ahead of the After the Final Rose special, but their broken hearts were evident during the TV show.
“You don’t have your phone. You don’t have a computer. You’re completely tapped out of what’s going on, which really allows you to foster these relationships with women,” James said of falling in love with Kirkconnell on The Bill Simmons Podcast in March 2021. “In reality, your friends, your family, would have something to say about it. When you get out of that bubble, you’re reintroduced to all these distractions, people’s opinions, and it started to get difficult.”
By April 2021, the duo was already sparking reconciliation rumors and in May, James revealed on the Pomp podcast that Kirkconnell gave him an “ultimatum.” He shared, “She was like, ‘If you’re going to make this work, let’s do it. But, if you’re not going to make it work, I’m going to let you do your own thing,'” They’ve been together ever since… until now. As the Us Weekly source noted, “The split may seem abrupt, but this has been brewing for a while. It was a long time coming.”
James and Kirkconnell’s vision for their life together didn’t match up.
Before you go, click here to see the most dramatic splits in Bachelor and Bachelorette history.
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