Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell’s Bachelor love story has been a journey — on and off screen.
ABC named the 29-year-old Wake Forest graduate the season 25 lead in June 2020, subsequently revealing that the series received a record number of submissions for contestants. Among the 38 women who had the opportunity to meet Matt was Rachael, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Georgia. While she didn’t receive the coveted first impression rose (Abigail Heringer did), she caught Matt’s eye on night one. (Season 25 of The Bachelor filmed at Nemacolin Resort in the fall of 2020 and premiered in January.)
“She was beautiful, wow,” he said after she walked out of the limo.
After several group dates, Rachael scored one-on-one time with Matt during the February 1 episode of the show. During the evening portion of the date, the pair revealed they were falling in love with one another.
“Night one, what she chose to use her time with me to speak about was very intentional. And it wasn’t something that wasn’t going to progress our relationship,” Matt said of Rachael on Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast on February 2. “And then when I saw on the first group date, and I’m referring to all these instances that aren’t one-on-ones, because that was how our relationship was lived out, you know, I hadn’t had that one-on-one time with her yet. And when I had that day to spend with her and really get to know her better, it just affirmed everything I had already felt.”
While Matt and Rachael were dropping L-bombs on the series, she was making headlines for her past racially insensitive actions, including photos of her at an “Old South”-themed frat party in 2018. The controversy escalated after Chris Harrison asked for fans to have “grace” for Rachael as they navigated the scandal. The Georgia native broke her silence on February 11, two days after the host’s interview and more than one month since she initially came under fire. Rachael’s mother, Kim Kirkconnell, also defended her daughter and hinted at how the situation might affect their potential happy ending.
“If he chooses Rachael, and stands by her, then you know Matt does truly love her,” Kim told The Sun on February 25. “If he chooses Rachael, and then leaves her, then it was not meant to be, and there is someone else out there for her.”
During The Bachelor: After the Final Rose on Monday, March 15, fans learned that Matt and Rachael called it quits while the show was airing.
Months after getting back together in April 2021, Rachael gave Us Weekly an exclusive update on their romance — and the pressure they feel from Bachelor Nation to get engaged.
“We’re in a great place,” she said that September at New York Fashion Week. “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.’ It’s been so incredible.”
Scroll through for a complete timeline of Matt and Rachael’s relationship:
Rachael got visibly emotional after Matt kicked off night one with a prayer. “Everything that he said I felt like I really related to that,” she said through tears.
In her confessional, Rachael added, “I had a feeling that I was going to be, like, infatuated with him, but the fact that he opened that up with a prayer struck a nerve for me. I didn’t expect to feel like this so soon.”
ABC/Craig Sjodin
“Rachael, I’m falling in love with you too,” Matt told Rachael on the February 1 episode. “And it is scary to say, but when I’m with you, it just feels right.”
During an interview with Us, Matt opened up about the weight of using the word “love” on the show. “Having not been part of The Bachelorette before I was the Bachelor, I didn’t know the rules and regulations of how to use that word,” he said after the episode aired. “And so, whenever I felt something, I said it. And I only said things that I meant and felt. So, if that got tossed around a few times, it’s because I felt it. And if it doesn’t, then that means that connection hadn’t gotten to that point yet.”
ABC/Craig Sjodin
The week after her one-on-one date, Rachael scored a group date rose during the February 15 episode.
“My parents will be so happy to meet you because if I’m happy, they are. I feel like I've been searching for what feels like my whole life for this and now I feel like I finally found it,” she gushed on the episode. “But I don't know if I'm going to get it. The only worry is that I just don't get you at the end of this.”
He replied: ”Where I'm at with you is, when I'm not around you, I'm thinking about you. And you just make me smile.”
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Matt and Rachael affirmed their love for each other during their overnight date, which aired on March 8.
“Where I’m at with you is I’ve fallen in love with you,” Matt said.
She replied, “I’m head over heels for you. I’m completely in love with you.”
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Matt and Rachael left Nemacolin together in November 2020.
"It felt like an extended honeymoon period," he later revealed on After the Final Rose. "It was super, it was great. Initially, it started out how you would imagine."
ABC/Craig Sjodin
The same day The Bachelor premiered on January 4, 2021, the first allegations aganist Rachael surfaced.
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Prior to the photos of Rachael at the controversial frat party resurfacing, she made headlines when a TikTok user accused her of being racist in high school. Screenshots of Instagram photos that Rachael “liked” featuring people smiling in front of Confederate flags then surfaced via social media. Matt was asked about the situation for the first time on February 2.
“I have not spoken to anybody since the show ended, but I would say that you have to be really careful about what you are doing on social media,” Matt told Entertainment Tonight. “Rumors are dark and nasty and can ruin people’s lives. So I would give people the benefit of the doubt, and hopefully she will have her time to speak on that.”
Courtesy of Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
The longtime host’s interview with Rachel Lindsay was released in full on Extra’s YouTube channel on February 9.
“I haven’t talked to Rachael about it, we all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion,” he said. “I have seen some stuff online. Again, this judge, jury, executioner thing where people are just tearing this girl’s life apart … Until I actually hear this woman have a chance to speak, who am I to say any of this … I saw a picture of her at a sorority party five years ago that’s it. … My guess? These girls got dressed up and went to a party and had a great time, they were 18 years old. Now, does that make it OK? I don’t know Rachel, you tell me. Were we all looking through [that lens] in 2018?”
Extra
Rachael broke her silence on February 11 via Instagram.
“While there have been rumors circulating, there have also been truths that have come to light that I need to address. I hear you, and I’m here to say I was wrong,” she wrote in part. “At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them. 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.”
Courtesy of Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
According to sources, Matt and Rachael called it quits after she made her public apology in mid-February. He initially stood by her, per the insider.
Craig Sjodin/ABC
With the exception of sending season 13 Bachelorette Rachel love amid the Extra interview controversy, Matt didn’t address the situation until February 22, calling the past few weeks “the most challenging” of his life.
“The reality is that I'm learning about these situations in real time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly,” he wrote via Instagram. "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 intimately, 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."
Hours after he released his statement, the hometowns date episode of The Bachelor aired and fans saw Matt meet Rachael’s family, including mom Kim, dad Darrell and sister Trinity.
Billy Kidd/ABC
Matt picked Rachael over Michelle Young during the finale, which taped in November 2020 and aired on March 15, but opted not to propose.
ABC/Craig Sjodin
“When he first called me to end things, my initial reaction was I was very confused. I was very blindsided,” Rachael said of their split during After the Final Rose. “But once that initial reaction went away, I thought about, you know, how strong I thought our relationship was. So for him to end things, like, he must have been very, very hurt by everything. It was hard, because I lost the love of my life."
While Rachael added that she loves him “so much” and always will, Matt said Rachael has "work" to do on her own.
Craig Sjodin/ABC(2)
While Rachael called Matt the “love of my life” again via Instagram after the finale aired, Matt ruled out any chance of reconciliation during an appearance on Good Morning America.
“I think there’s a lot of work that needs to be done before I can think about being in a relationship with anybody,” he said on March 16, 2021. “I need time to process everything that’s going on. I want to respect Rachael and what she’s gotta do as well.”
ABC
Matt and Rachael were spotted together in New York City in April 2021. ”They wanted to keep it a secret, but they got caught walking around the city,” a source told Us at the time, confirming reports that Kirkconnell was seen at James’ apartment. “They’ve been working on their relationship privately over the past few months and taking the next steps to get back together. They spoke and FaceTimed daily.”
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Not long after their NYC reunion made headlines, sources told Us that the twosome were not back together. One source also claimed that Rachael learned James, 29, was “talking to another girl,” which left her “very emotional” because she was “hopeful” they could’ve worked it out. Another insider close to Matt, however, told Us that wasn’t the case.
“Matt was not looking for a romantic relationship with Rachael after he ended it with her. He’s tried to make it clear to her that he just wants to be friends and support one another as they both have gone through this journey together,” the second source said in April 2021. “Matt is a caring and supportive person, so he wouldn’t just block her out of his life completely.”
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Shortly after a woman named Grace claimed to be in communication with Matt while he and Rachael were also hanging out in NYC, a source told Us that the Bachelor exes had completely stopped talking to one another. "Rachael and Matt are on non-speaking terms after she learned about him lying about being in communication with another girl," the source said in April 2021. "He was in Atlanta this [month], which is less than an hour away from where Rachael resides, and he has not reached out to her to make amends or apologize. As far as she's concerned, what they had is in the past now."
Meanwhile, the graphic designer is enjoying her time alone. "She's working on her mental health and getting into a much better headspace," the source continued. "She's focusing on her own antiracism work and working on herself right now. She's not looking to jump into the dating field any time soon."
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock; Courtesy of Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
The duo were spotted in California grabbing food with friends in April 2021, just weeks after Matt was accused of seeing another woman behind Rachael’s back. The pair were photographed going to JuneShine bar in Santa Monica and walking through the city.
ABC/Craig Sjodin
After reconnecting in California in April 2021, Matt confirmed that he has seen Rachael “a handful of times” since their split. He told People the same month, "I'm not pursuing any relationships right now outside of that. I said I was going to focus on my relationship with her and that means focusing on it."
Gregory Pace/Shutterstock; Courtesy of Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
Following Matt's declaration that he's "focusing" on his relationship with Rachael, the pair were spotted holding hands in NYC in May 2021 and getting mani-pedis at Glosslab. In an interview with WSJ. Magazine published shortly after that sighting, Matt confirmed that the couple are trying to work out their issues.
"It’s on people who care about being allies to do the work to be truly antiracist,” he said. “And I think it’s unfair to leave people without the ability to unlearn and be better.” Rachael also confirmed in an email to the magazine that the duo have gotten back together, noting that their newfound "privacy" has made it easier to move forward.
Matt and Rachael packed on the PDA during a trip to Miami in May 2021. The couple were spotted cuddling and walking together on the beach after taking a dip in the ocean.
MEGA
Matt revealed in May 2021 that he and Rachael had a big heart-to-heart ahead of their April reconciliation. “It was honestly a commitment that we made to each other that we were going to work on the relationship,” James said on the “Pomp” podcast. “There came a point in time where it was evident that my working on the relationship looked different than Rachael’s because I wasn’t really honoring that commitment that I made to working on the relationship. 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.’ That’s really all I needed. It was an ultimatum that I needed. It’s been great.”
MEGA; ABC/Craig Sjodin
The couple spent quality time together at the Little Nell luxury hotel during Rachael's first trip to Aspen, Colorado, in June 2021. "Both were bright-eyed, easygoing and in a very joyous mood. It's very obvious to onlookers that they are definitely headed in the direction of an engagement," an eyewitness told Us exclusively. "They were very close and acted as if they had been dating for years."
Mark Carolan
In July 2021, Matt and Rachael hit the red carpet at the ESPY Awards in New York City — and poked fun at comments that they came "out of hiding" for the event. "Ain't nobody hiding!" the former Bachelor tweeted alongside a silly selfie with his girlfriend.
Courtesy Matt James/Twitter
The lovebirds wore matching blue sweatsuits by THE HAPPY CAMP3R, which send all proceeds to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, while spending time together in July 2021 in New York City. Rachael also documented the couple’s food tour of the city via her Instagram Story, sharing their favorite breakfast spot and tons of ice cream snaps.
Courtesy Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
The couple posed with Logan Paul in Las Vegas at the WWE SummerSlam in August 2021.
Courtesy of Matt James/Instagram
The reality stars visited Rachael’s family in Cumming, Georgia, in August 2021. During the trip, Matt even played his girlfriend’s mom, Kim, in a round of tennis.
“There’s no easy way to say this,” Matt said in an Instagram Story video at the time. “Rachael’s mom just kicked my ass. I came in talking so much s—t. I lost both sets, 6-0. I didn’t win a game.”
He captioned the slide, “I’m taking lessons when I’m back in NYC! … Humbled. Mrs. Kirkconnell was at about 50% effort too [skull emoji].”
The Bachelor Nation couple also made homemade pizza, fed wild pigs and went on a boat ride at sunset during their Georgia vacation.
Courtesy of Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
While Matt prepared to take on Dancing With the Stars in Los Angeles, Rachael held down the fort in NYC in September 2021. The former football player subsequently apologized for watching Kate Winslet’s Mare of Easttown without her.
“I told Rachael I was gonna wait and start Mare of Easttown till she got out here. And then I made the mistake — I was all, 'Oh, I'm just gonna watch 15 minutes, I'm just gonna watch 30 minutes,' last night,” he said via Instagram Stories. “And I went to bed at 5 a.m. I watched the entire show. And I can say that I had no idea … it was gonna be who it was. I've never been that unsure of who I thought was gonna be the person. But now I need a new show."
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; ABC/Maarten de Boer
After the premiere of Dancing With the Stars season 30 in September 2021, Matt told Entertainment Tonight that he's so "in love" with his biggest fan. "She hasn't come to the rehearsals, but we've made it a family affair," he said. "Rachael and I have hung out with Lindsay [Arnold] and Sage, Lindsay's daughter ... so we spend a lot of time together."
Matt noted that being able to "do a lot of things together" has been a positive experience for the reality stars after a rocky year. "Everything I do, she does," he said.
Courtesy Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
While James exclusively told Us in October 2021 that he “hope[s]” to have a baby as cute as Arnold’s one day, he clarified, " I don't want to get any ideas in Rachel's head, you know what I mean? We've gotta take it step by step. I'm cool with being a godfather, with being the uncle. … I’m just chilling right now.”
Courtesy of Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
0 Comments