Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell's Relationship Timeline

Ups and downs. Bachelor Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell’s relationship timeline has gotten messy since the pair first met during season 25. Learn more about their love story below!

Although the leading man fell hard and fast for Rachael, her social media controversy overshadowed much of their love story. The scandal started after the season premiere on January 4 when a TikTok user accused the Georgia native of mistreating her during high school for “liking Black guys.” Another video on the platform alleged Rachael “liked” a slew of racist Instagram posts, including one that featured the Confederate flag and another that showed a group of white women dressed as Mexican men. Then, photos started circulating of the contestant attending an “Old South” antebellum-themed fraternity party in 2018.

Weeks after the scandal broke, Rachael released an apology via Instagram on February 11. “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,” the contestant wrote. “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.”

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“I am sorry to the communities and individuals that my actions harmed and offended,” her statement continued. “I am ashamed about my lack of education, but it is no one’s responsibility to educate me. I am learning and will continue to learn how to be antiracist, because it’s important to speak up in the moment and not after you’re called out. If you are a person who doesn’t understand the offense in question, I urge you to learn from my mistakes and encourage you to use them as a teachable moment.”

Rachael concluded her lengthy post by saying she hopes she can “earn” the “forgiveness” of fans through her “future actions.”

The controversy had a major effect on Matt and Rachael’s relationship. Keep scrolling to see their full relationship timeline.

Off-Screen Drama

Matt and Rachael weren’t the only ones affected by her social media scandal. Chris Harrison announced on February 13 he was stepping back from the franchise after making insensitive remarks about the situation during an interview on Extra with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay.
“This historic season of The Bachelor should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions,” the host wrote at the time via Instagram.

Matt Speaks Out

The real estate analyst broke his silence about Rachael’s controversy on February 22. “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,” he wrote.
“The reality is that I’m learning about these situations in real-time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking, to put it bluntly,” Matt continued. “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.”

Their On-Screen Love Story Keeps Unfolding

Meanwhile, on season 25, fans watched Matt and Rachael become even closer. The NYC resident even dropped the L-bomb during their fantasy suite date.

“Where I’m at with you is I’ve fallen in love with you,” Matt told Rachael, to which she replied, “I’m head over heels for you. I’m completely in love with you.”

Things Were More Complicated IRL

“Matt and Rachael Kirkconnell are no longer together,” an insider told Life & Style one day after he spoke out about her past racist behavior.
“Matt broke up with Rachael mainly due to the backlash. At the end of the day, he cared more about protecting himself, supporting his friend [former Bachelorette] Rachel Lindsay and speaking out against the franchise,” explained the insider. “Rachael can’t wait until she can finally share her side of the story once the finale airs.”

They Finally Came Face-to-Face

Emmanuel Acho hosted season 25’s After the Final Rose, where Matt and Rachael sat down together for the first time after their split. The former leading man said at the time that he stood by his decision to end things.
“As someone who grew up in the South, it takes me to a place that I don’t often like to think about. I wasn’t OK,” the real estate analyst explained about the controversy. “It was in that moment and the conversation that I had, that Rachael might not understand what it means to be Black in America. It’s heartbreaking. If you don’t understand that something like that is problematic in 2018, there’s a lot of me that you won’t understand. It’s as simple as that.”

Shady

Us Weekly reported during the pair’s NYC hangout that Rachael found out Matt was “talking to another girl” while she was in the Big Apple. “He flew her to NYC. They’ve been working on their relationship privately over the past few months and taking the next steps to get back together,” a source told the outlet. “She’s very emotional right now because she was very hopeful that things were going to work out. She’s still trying to process this.”