Rachael Kirkconnell, known from The Bachelor, opened up about her breakup with Matt James, revealing the reason for the end of their four-year relationship during their trip to Tokyo earlier this month.
She described the breakup as unexpected, sharing on Tuesday’s episode of Call Her Daddy that Matt had expressed concerns about certain qualities she possessed that worried him about their future. He reportedly told her that there were aspects of their relationship where they were simply not compatible, notably her inability to fully take accountability for her mistakes.
Rachael explained that, despite her efforts, she was often the one apologizing after their disagreements, even when she wasn’t at fault. She recalled a conversation where Matt confessed that by this point in their relationship, he should be feeling ready to propose, but he wasn’t. He told her he didn’t see himself marrying her, adding that he couldn’t picture a future with her.
Additionally, Matt told Rachael that she wasn’t his “perfect” match, which deepened the hurt of the breakup.
Rachael went on to reveal that she had left Tokyo earlier than Matt and, just before her flight, she received a notification about his breakup post, which she didn’t have a chance to discuss with anyone due to lack of service during her 12-hour flight.
The split came after a dinner date, where Rachael had been feeling overwhelmed. She had spent hours searching for the perfect restaurant for Matt, who is a food influencer, only to feel disappointed by the place they ended up at. While dealing with emotional stress and her period, she became teary-eyed during the meal. According to Rachael, Matt didn’t address her emotions during dinner or after returning to their hotel. When she tried to hug him, he distanced himself and seemed confused by her distress.
Rachael explained that she felt she had let him down and was upset about the situation. Matt, however, downplayed the seriousness of the moment and expressed concerns about her emotional state.
When Matt later shared a heartfelt Instagram post announcing their breakup, he included a prayer for both of them to heal. Initially, fans speculated that he had been hacked due to a recent video he posted with Rachael in London. Rachael, meanwhile, had posted a sweet birthday message for him just a month earlier, referring to him as her “teammate” and expressing her deep affection.
In a sign that she was taken by surprise, Rachael liked a comment on Instagram that suggested she had been blindsided by the breakup. Friends and family were reportedly confused by the sudden announcement, and an insider mentioned that Rachael had no prior knowledge of Matt’s decision to share the news publicly. The post, according to the source, left her feeling humiliated, as she never would have approved of it being made in such a way.
The couple met on Season 25 of The Bachelor, and despite an initial break-up over race-related issues in 2021, they had rekindled their romance and seemed strong until this recent split.
