Rachael Kirkconnell may have been “blindsided” when Matt James broke up with her, but a source exclusively tells Life & Style that her friends weren’t – and they even saw the former Bachelor’s “red flags.”
“From the moment they started their romance, Matt and Rachael have always had a questionable relationship,” the source exclusively reveals to Life & Style. “Now that they’ve broken up for the second time, everyone wants to know one thing: ‘Was Rachael blindsided?’”
The insider says the “short answer is yes, but her friends say she should have seen this coming. There were many red flags. The biggest being that he’s had commitment issues from day one.”
The season 25 Bachelor, 33, announced their split one day after fans watched Matt and Rachael, 28, enjoy pizza in London via TikTok on Wednesday, January 15.
“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts. Give us peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding,” Matt captioned his Thursday, January 16, Instagram post. “Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord.”
Matt paired his statement with a photo of the moment he and Rachael met outside the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, during the Bachelor season 25 premiere.
Before Matt removed the comment feature on the post, fans collectively shared their thoughts. While some fans believed the ABC Food Tours founders’ Instagram account was hacked, others think the split was abrupt.
“The more I’m thinking about it, the more I think he completely blindsided her with this. Give her some grace and let her respond in her own time,” one fan wrote, leading Rachael to “like” the comment.
Rachael has not publicly addressed her and Matt’s split.
There were no signs pointing to trouble in their relationship, and the graphic designer’s most recent Instagram post proved how close they were. Rachael shared a sweet video tribute to Matt for his birthday on December 5, 2024, which included wholesome moments caught on film.
“Happiest of birthdays to my best friend, my teammate, my sous chef, the man that has my whole heart,” Rachael captioned the post. “You fill it (and my tummy) with so much love and laughter and I’m so thankful I get to dance through this life with you. Thank you for your never ending love and support and smooches and snuggles. To many more adventures, happy birthday my pumpkin [heart emoji].”
Matt and Rachael met during his season of The Bachelor, which began filming in September 2020. Although he gave his final rose to her during the finale, a Neil Lane diamond ring was not included in the offer.
After the season premiered in January 2021 and by the end of the season, Rachael faced a racism scandal after her college photos resurfaced while she attended an antebellum-themed fraternity party. She and Matt temporarily split amid the controversy and announced the news during the After the Final Rose live episode. They reconciled months later.
“They’re in a really good place right now. I wouldn’t rule that proposal out just yet,” a second source exclusively told Life & Style in June 2021. “It wasn’t easy.””
In September 2024, four months before Matt and Rachael split, he exclusively told Life & Style how he responds to pressure from fans to propose.
“We just kind of go by the beat of our own drum,” he said at the time. “I think that’s why it works for us. We just try to make each other happy and no one else. We just kind of live in our own bubble and do the things that make us happy and that seems to have been working for us.”
