Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell began dating after he chose her at the end of The Bachelor Season 25. They split by the season’s March 2021 reunion special, reconciled that spring and remained publicly together for several years. James announced their breakup on January 16, 2025. Details about their final conversation and his readiness for marriage come from Kirkconnell’s account, not an independently confirmed explanation.
How Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell met
James and Kirkconnell met on Season 25 of The Bachelor. At the finale, James gave Kirkconnell his final rose but did not propose. They began dating after the show. Because accounts differ on how they date the finale period, the season is the clearest anchor for when their relationship started. ABC News
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Why did Matt and Rachael break up in 2021?
In February 2021, photographs emerged showing Kirkconnell at a 2018 antebellum-themed party. The images drew criticism while the season was airing, and Kirkconnell apologized. The controversy formed part of the public context for the couple’s first split, but it does not by itself establish the private reasons for their relationship decision. TIME
By the March 15, 2021 After the Final Rose special, James said he and Kirkconnell were no longer together. During the controversy, host Chris Harrison questioned whether the party was a bad look in 2018 or in 2021; James separately expressed support for Rachel Lindsay and others advocating for change and accountability. TIME
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When did Matt and Rachael get back together?
They reconciled in spring 2021. In April, James told People they were exclusively dating again; in May, he told WSJ Magazine they were giving the relationship another shot. ABC News
They remained publicly together for several years. On December 5, 2024, Kirkconnell posted a birthday tribute calling James her “best friend” and “teammate.” On January 15, 2025, the pair appeared together in a London food-review post. These public posts show what they shared at the time, but cannot establish what either person was privately feeling. Glamour
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When did Matt James announce their 2025 breakup?
James announced the breakup on Instagram on January 16, 2025, in a caption written as a prayer. ABC News reproduced his words: “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. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord 💔.” ABC News
What did Rachael Kirkconnell say about their final conversation?
In a Call Her Daddy interview published January 28–29, Kirkconnell said they ended their relationship in Tokyo on the same day James posted his announcement. She said she saw his post shortly before boarding a flight where she would have no service. Her account of the private conversation centered on arguments, compatibility and marriage: she said James told her he did not feel ready to marry her and did not know whether he ever would. Those are Kirkconnell’s reported recollections; they are not independently verified statements of James’s motives. ABC News
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Kirkconnell also questioned the way the announcement was phrased, saying it seemed like “saying it like a prayer was the easier way to say it than to say something real. Not that it wasn’t real, but just something authentic to our actual relationship, but it’s very him.” She said she had spoken with James after the post, forgave him, but felt disrespected by how he announced the breakup. At the time of the interview, she did not think reconciliation was possible and said she needed to stand up for herself and be on her own. ABC News
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is their relationship status now?
The available reporting establishes James’s January 2025 breakup announcement and Kirkconnell’s view at the time of her interview. It does not verify whether their status changed afterward, so a later reconciliation or continued separation cannot be stated as fact.
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