Matt James & Rachael Kirkconnell Break Up 4 Years After The Bachelor

Four years after finding love on The Bachelor, Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell have broken up.

Matt announced the split in the form of a prayer on Instagram. “Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he wrote in his Jan. 16 post. “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.”

The Season 25 lead concluded his post — which included a snap of his and Rachael’s first meeting on The Bachelor — on a note of positivity. “And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord.”

A Surprising Announcement

As of writing, Rachael hasn’t immediately discussed the breakup on her social media accounts. However, in her most recent Instagram post from December, she wrote a birthday message to Matt, who she called “my best friend, my teammate, my sous chef, the man that has my whole heart.”

She paired the sweet missive with a compilation of their time together, writing “to many more adventures.”

As recently as Jan. 15, Matt was sharing clips of his trip to London with Rachael.

In a November appearance on the TikTok account @meetcutesNYC, Matt said he was excited about having a family with Rachael in the future. “Oh, stop! You’re going to make me cry,” she said.

Looking Back On The Bachelor

Though Matt and Rachael found a long-term relationship through The Bachelor, they didn’t have a traditional ending on the show.

After forging a strong connection with Matt in Season 25, Rachael received his final rose. Though they weren’t ready to get engaged, they ended the show as a couple. However, by After the Final Rose, the couple broke up following Rachael’s racism controversy — which included resurfaced photos of her attending an antebellum-themed party in 2018.

“When she spoke out and she acknowledged and apologized for everything, that’s when I was able to take a check on myself. And I wasn’t OK,” Matt said at the time. “It was in that moment and in the conversation that I realized Rachael might not realize what it means to be Black in America.”

The couple ultimately reconnected several months later and would go on to have a four-year relationship.