Bachelor Nation
‘The Bachelor’ Stars Matt James & Rachael Kirkconnell Split After 4 Years: ‘Give Us a Peace’
Another Bachelor Nation couple has called it quits. More than four years after Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell met on Season 25 of The Bachelor, the two have broken up.
James took to Instagram on Thursday, January 16, to share the news with fans. The 33-year-old posted a photo of him and Kirkconnell meeting for the first time, along with a caption that confirmed the breakup.
“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he wrote. “Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord.”
The split announcement comes just three days after James posted an Instagram video that featured Kirkconnell. She also sent him love for his birthday in a December 5 social media post, writing, “Happiest of birthdays to my best friend, my teammate, my sous chef, the man that has my whole heart. 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.”
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Kirkconnell was James’ final pick on his season of The Bachelor, which filmed in the fall of 2020. However, while the season was airing, Kirkconnell’s past racist actions were exposed online — she attended an antebellum-themed party in college — prompting James to end the relationship ahead of the March 2021 finale.
Just weeks later, the two were spotted spending time together in New York City, sparking reconciliation rumors. Eventually, Kirkconnell gave her ex an ultimatum about the future of their 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,'” the North Carolina native shared in May 2021.
The reality stars officially got back together and started building a life. As recently as October 2024, James hinted that an engagement was in their future. “I think that’s the next step,” he said on the De-Influenced With Dani + Jordan podcast. “Having had so many of Rachael’s friends go through engagements, I wouldn’t dare go look at a ring without consulting Rachael first.”
Kirkconnell jumped in to joke that her finger was “ready,” adding, “I feel that’s definitely something we want. I’m on his time. My problem is I definitely need to go find a ring I like and everything, but that’s on him at that point.”
