Rachael Kirkconnell, who was part of The Bachelor Season 25, has recently opened up about her unexpected breakup with Matt James after four years together.
The two officially parted ways earlier this month, leaving fans in shock. As the real reason behind their split remains a mystery, Kirkconnell shared her side of the story in an interview on the podcast Call Her Daddy on Tuesday, January 28.
Rachael Kirkconnell Talks About Split with Matt James
Matt first announced his split from Rachael in an Instagram post on January 16. Nearly two weeks later, she opened up about how she coped with the breakup, telling host Alex Cooper that she was on a flight from Japan when she found out.
“Literally, the plane is taking off and I see his post, and that’s it,” she said.
The reality star panicked, realizing she wouldn’t have service for the next 12 hours while the world processed the news before she even had a chance to.
“I’m still trying to process it,” she continued. “I’m still in total shock.”
Rachael had believed she and Matt were “on the same page, privately and publicly,” discussing rings, saving for the future, and making plans together.
Matt James Didn’t See Rachael Kirkconnell as His Wife
Continuing her revelations, Rachael shared that James admitted there were qualities about her that made him hesitant about marriage, and there were aspects of their relationship where they weren’t compatible.
She believed her now ex-boyfriend realized that he wasn’t ready to propose.
Despite being together for years, James felt that he should have been ready to take their relationship to the next level—but he wasn’t.
In fact, he wasn’t even sure if he could see himself proposing to Rachael or being married to her.
“I said, ‘Well, I feel like after four years you should know or you should feel ready,’” she continued. “‘We probably shouldn't be together if you don't feel like that after four years because you know me better than anyone. I know you better than anyone, so you should know by now if you see this for the long haul or not.’”
Rachael Kirkconnell Clears the Air About Her Breakup with Matt James
In her first public appearance after the split, Rachael addressed her breakup with James in an interview with TMZ at LAX before boarding a flight.
Speaking ahead of her podcast interview’s release, she told the outlet she was focused on “protecting her peace” and emphasized that “infidelity” played no role in their breakup.
However, Rachael appeared deeply hurt as she made it clear that a reconciliation with Matt was not in the cards.
“Definitely not. Yeah, we're out. We're done,” she said.
Rachael and Matt met on The Bachelor Season 25 in 2020, with the former winning the season amid controversy. At the time, the two chose to continue dating without getting engaged during the finale.