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Rachael Kirkconnell<\/strong>\u00a0was the woman on season 25 of The Bachelor<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0who caught Matt James<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 eye from the very beginning. After four years of dating and creating food content together, the couple has broken up. Learn more about the former <\/span>Bachelor<\/span> contestant who received Matt\u2019s final rose.<\/span><\/p>\n Shortly after Rachael was announced as a cast member on season 25 of\u00a0The Bachelor<\/em>, a woman who said she had gone to high school with her posted a TikTok video with claims about Rachael. The woman accused Rachael of \u201cbullying\u201d her for dating Black guys when they were in school together. Then, another TikTok user uncovered alleged controversial posts that Rachael had \u2018liked\u2019 on Instagram.<\/p>\n As Matt started falling hard for Rachael, more about her past continued to come to light. At the beginning of February, photos surfaced of Rachael attending an Old South-themed party while she was in college. The party glorified the state of the country during this time, when slavery was prevalent. On Feb. 11, Rachael issued a statement<\/a> to apologize for her past actions, and took accountability for her \u201cignorance.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite Rachael\u2019s apology, the scandal still exploded due to\u00a0The Bachelor<\/em> host,\u00a0Chris Harrison<\/strong>, weighing in on the situation. During an interview with former Bachelorette,\u00a0Rachel Lindsay<\/strong>, Chris defended Rachael K.\u2019s past actions. After receiving major backlash for his response, he posted an apology on Instagram. However, it was too little too late. Chris eventually revealed he would be \u2018stepping aside\u2019<\/a> from the Bachelor franchise for the time being. He confirmed that he would not be hosting the season 25\u00a0After the Final Rose<\/em> special. His future with the franchise<\/a> after that is unknown.<\/p>\n Rachael, a 28-year-old creative director for Togeth3r, is from Cumming, Georgia, a small town just outside of Atlanta. She attended Georgia College, located close to home, and graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor\u2019s in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing. During her time at school, she earned a spot on the Dean\u2019s List twice.<\/span><\/p>\n Although Rachael is a \u201chopeless romantic,\u201d she\u2019d never been in love before coming on The Bachelor<\/em>, according to her ABC bio. \u201cRachael is hoping that her love story will be something huge and life altering,\u201d her bio reads. \u201cShe wants to look back at her life when she\u2019s old and feel like she has made the absolute most out of every single day.\u201d However, Rachael has said that she\u2019s fallen in love with Matt and that she\u2019s ready for an engagement.<\/p>\n After Matt chose Rachael to receive his final rose, the couple\u2019s relationship came to an end in January 2025. On January 16, 2025, Matt announced their split on Instagram<\/a><\/span>, writing, \u201cFather God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts. Give us a peace about this decision to endour 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.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Shortly after the post, Rachael broke her silence on the split during an episode of \u201c<\/span>Call Her Daddy<\/span><\/a>.\u201d She recalled that their breakup took place in Tokyo when, while trying to find a restaurant, she became \u201coverwhelmed.\u201d Matt apparently wasn\u2019t pleased with her reaction and later shared his thoughts on their future together.<\/span><\/p>\n Rachael explained, \u201cIt was just one of those things where he had this realization that \u2018I should want to propose to you by this time. Like, at this point in our relationship, I should be wanting those things and I should be ready for that. But I\u2019m not still, I still don\u2019t feel like we\u2019re ready or I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m ready. I don\u2019t know if I ever see myself proposing to you. I can\u2019t actually see myself married to you.’\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rachael\u2019s Instagram feed is full of photos of herself in the ocean, on the sand, by the pool and sunbathing. As of present time, she has more than one million followers on the social media site. Her Instagram handle is simply her name, @rachaelkirkconnell<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\t\t<\/div>\nWhat Did Rachael Kirkconnell Do That Was Racist?<\/h2>\n
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What Did Chris Harrison Say About Rachael?<\/h2>\n
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What Is Rachael\u2019s Job?<\/h2>\n
Rachael Kirkconnell Had Never Been In Love \u2014 Until Matt Came Along<\/h2>\n
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Is Rachael Kirkconnell On Social Media?<\/h2>\n