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Bachelor’s Rachael Kirkconnell Says There Is ‘No Way’ She’d Take Ex-Boyfriend Matt James Back
Rachael Kirkconnell may have been blindsided when former Bachelor Matt James announced their breakup, but there is “no way” she would accept his rose again.
“It’s only been a few weeks, but I’m definitely in that phase of just, like, still trying to grasp everything and figure out a new normal. It’s easier said than done,” Rachael, 28, admitted to Cosmopolitan on Friday, February 7. “Some days are easier than others, but I’m feeling OK. Breakups are normal; they happen to everyone.”
The Bachelor Nation star also opened up about how Matt, 33, publicly handled their breakup, when he shared the news via Instagram on January 16, a post that has since been deleted.
“I think just the way it went down was really crazy for me to comprehend and still is. In a way, it almost makes it easier, you know?” Rachael continued. “I think when something crazy like that happens, it’s something that you can almost replay in your head to get over it quicker, if that makes any sense.”
Matt’s January split announcement took fans by surprise as there were no telling signs that things weren’t going well between the couple. Not to mention, he shared a video with Rachael just hours before uploaded his bombshell post.
“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,” he captioned the post. “Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord.”
The following day, Life & Style reported that Rachael was blindsided by Matt’s decision to announce their breakup, despite seeing “red flags” in their romance.
“From the moment they started their romance, Matt and Rachael have always had a questionable relationship,” a source exclusively told Life & Style at the time. “Now that they’ve broken up for the second time, everyone wants to know one thing: ‘Was Rachael blindsided?’”
The insider added, “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.”
Matt and Rachael first met during The Bachelor season 25 and left the show as a couple. However, the influencer became the face of the franchise’s racist scandal after college photos of her resurfaced at an antebellum party at the end of the 2021 season. Rachael apologized for her past actions via Instagram that February, admitting that she was “ignorant, but [her] ignorance was racist.”
The situation put a strain on the pair’s relationship, leading them to temporarily split before filming After the Final Rose, which was filmed in March 2021. Matt and Rachael quickly reconciled that June.
The reality stars spent a lot of time traveling and exploring new restaurants during their four-year relationship. Despite their integrated lifestyles, Matt and Rachael never lived together or talked deeply about engagement plans.
“He said that he didn’t want to live together until we were married and he’s a very religious man, so I was like, ‘That’s OK, I can do that,’” Rachael told Alex Cooper during a January 28 interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “But at the same time, I’m a little confused because we’re still, you know, traveling together, staying in the same hotel and it was like we were living together.”
Matt, for his part, has not addressed their split or Rachael’s revelations. Instead, he returned to Instagram on February 6, by sharing a video of his trip to Kenya.
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