Rachael Kirkconnell’s Sister Hints Matt James Split Blindsided Her
Rachael Kirkconnell’s sister, Trinity Kirkconnell, seemingly implied that Rachael was blindsided by her breakup with Matt James.
A Bachelor superfan named Gabby White posted a TikTok video questioning the timeline of Matt, 33, and Rachael’s split after he posted a video of the two of them enjoying beer and pizza in London just one day before he announced their breakup on January 15. Some people speculated that the video was sponsored and the former Bachelor star was required to share it due to contractual obligations. However, Trinity, 22, claimed that wasn’t the case.
“Yea so they were still together when he was posting all that … just to give you some perspective on the timeline of things,” Trinity wrote in the comment section of the clip.
Matt shocked fans when he shared a message on Instagram saying that he and Rachael, 28, had decided to part ways.
“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,” the former NCAA football player captioned a photo of himself and Rachael taken during their time on The Bachelor season 25. “Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord.”
When fans of the couple flocked to Rachael’s last post of her and Matt on Instagram from December 2024, one person wrote, “The more I’m thinking about it, the more I think he completely blindsided her with this. Give her some grace and let her respond in her own time.”
Rachael “liked” the comment, implying she agreed with the theory.
Two days after Matt’s announcement, a source told Life & Style that while Rachael may not have seen the split coming, her close friends weren’t surprised.
“From the moment they started their romance, Matt and Rachael have always had a questionable relationship,” the insider shared. “Now that they’ve broken up for the second time, everyone wants to know one thing: ‘Was Rachael blindsided?’”
The source continued, “The short answer is yes, but her friends say she should have seen this coming. There were many red flags. The biggest being that he’s had commitment issues from day one.”
Rachael has yet to publicly comment on the situation.
The ABC Food Tours founder and Rachael developed a relationship during their time on Matt’s season of The Bachelor. While they opted to not get engaged at the end of the show, they did leave the show as a couple with plans of continuing their relationship outside of the prying eyes of the cameras.
Shortly after the season premiered, Rachael was faced with a racism scandal when pictures of her dressed as a Native American and another of her attending an antebellum-themed party in college resurfaced. Matt quickly broke things off with her, and he announced their separation during the live After the Final Rose episode.
However, Matt and Rachael eventually reconciled months later and the two seemingly had been going strong ever since.
“They decided to give their relationship another shot, and it seems to have worked,” a source told Life & Style in June 2021. “They’re in a really good place right now. I wouldn’t rule that proposal out just yet. It wasn’t easy.”