The Bachelor’s Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell have called it quits after four years together.
“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,” Matt, 33, captioned a photo of himself and Rachael, 28, on Instagram on Thursday, January 16. “Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord.”
Matt tagged Rachael in the photo, as well.
The couple did not get engaged by the season 25 finale, but they were still an item. However, their relationship hit an abrupt wall following Rachael’s racism scandal, which began after the season premiere in January 2021. Insensitive images resurfaced online of her attending an Old South antebellum-themed fraternity party and another photo of Rachael wearing a Native American costume.
“At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them,” the Georgia native wrote via Instagram in February 2021. “My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or OK in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”
Shortly afterward, the North Carolina native released his own statement condemning her past actions.
“The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging of my life, and while there are several episodes left of the season, it is important that I take the time to address troubling information that has come to light since we wrapped filming, including the incredibly disappointing photos of Rachael Kirkconnell and the interview between Rachel Lindsay and Chris Harrison,” the Bachelor Nation member wrote via his Instagram Stories. “The reality is that I’m learning about these situations in real-time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly. Chris’ failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand immediately, was troubling and painful to watch. As Black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that The Bachelor franchise has fallen short on addressing adequately for years.”
Matt continued, “This moment has sparked critical conversations and reporting, raised important questions and resulted in inspiring displays of solidarity from The Bachelor nation. It has also pushed me to reevaluate and process what my experience on The Bachelor represents, not just for me, but for all of the contestants of color, especially the Black contestants of this season and seasons past, and for you, the viewers at home.”
In March 2021, an insider exclusively told Life & Style “Matt and Rachael Kirkconnell are no longer together,” adding that “Matt broke up with Rachael mainly due to the backlash.”
However, the pair sparked reconciliation rumors that April after being spotted together in public. By July 2021, Matt and Rachael made their red carpet debut at the ESPY Awards in New York City.
Toward the end of 2021, Rachael gave an update on the status of their relationship in an interview with Us Weekly, noting that they were “in a great place.”
“We just needed to take that time away from everyone and really figure everything out, and I think that we were just so sick of the outside noise, and we were like, ‘You know what? We need to just put all of that aside and really focus on our relationship and how we feel about each other and nothing else,’” Rachael said.
The reality TV star also addressed the pressure she and her beau faced at the time.
“It’s like ‘When are you guys getting engaged? Are you guys engaged yet?’” Rachael added. “And, of course, we talk about it, but it’s just been nice to not have that pressure for the last few months because that’s all our relationship was in the beginning.”
