Rachael Kirkconnell. Courtesy of Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
Rachael Kirkconnell still has fond memories of her travels to Tokyo, despite it being the city where she and Matt James broke up.
“Still ♡ you Tokyo,” Kirkconnell, 28, captioned a Wednesday, January 29, Instagram carousel of photos from her trip to Japan earlier this month. The post included snaps she took of the city, the food she ate and the outfits she wore. The post’s first slide featured Kirkconnell sitting at a restaurant table, a potential nod to revelations she made about her and James’ split on the Tuesday, January 28, episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
During the episode, Kirkconnell revealed that she and James, 33, butted heads while picking a place to eat in Tokyo, which led to a tense dinner date. “He was trying to express to me, like, ‘If you get emotional about little things like this, what is going to happen in life when something really terrible happens? Like, how are you going to be able to react to things that are actually really scary or disappointing or sad?’” she told host Alex Cooper, adding, “I felt like I was being punished for crying.”
The pair called it quits the following day. “He said that at the end of the day there were just qualities about me that he worries about having in a wife. At the end of the day, there are things that we aren’t compatible with and the whole accountability and saying sorry and all that was really the main thing,” she shared. “It was just one of those things where he, I think, just had this realization that ‘I 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’m not still, I still don’t feel like we’re ready or I don’t feel like I’m ready. I don’t know if I ever see myself proposing to you. I can’t actually see myself married to you.’”
Rachael Kirkconnell claimed Matt James did not tell her he was planning to announce their breakup via social media. Kirkconnell, 28, said during her Tuesday, January 28, appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast hosted by Alex Cooper, that James, 33, blindsided her by announcing their breakup via Instagram on January 16. “He didn’t even […]
Amid the new breakup details, several members of Bachelor Nation flooded the comments section of Kirkconnell’s latest Instagram post to show their support. “And we all love you!!! 🤍,” former Bachelorette Rachel Recchia wrote on the post, while Tayshia Adams commented, “I promise you, there’s so much light, happiness and LOVE to look forward to. You got this!!! ♥️.”
Abigail Heringer called Kirkconnell a “Queen 👑,” while Daisy Kent wrote, “[You are] beautiful inside and out 💗 loved how vulnerable you were on the podcast & can’t wait to continue and watch you shine ✨ you got this.” Susie Evans also sent Kirkconnell her love by leaving a heart emoji in the comments, among others.
Kirkconnell earned James’ final rose on season 25 of The Bachelor in 2021. The pair had parted ways after filming but reconnected one month after the show’s After the Final Rose special aired that March. James announced that they had ended their romance after four years of dating via Instagram on January 16.
As Bachelor Nation waits for Rachael Kirkconnell to break her silence on her split from Matt James, a source is giving Us Weekly exclusive insight into their relationship. “The split may seem abrupt, but this has been brewing for a while. It was a long time coming,” the source says. “Matt just couldn’t commit to […]
“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he captioned a pic of himself and Kirkconnell on The Bachelor. “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 💔.”
On Tuesday’s “Call Her Daddy” episode, Kirkconnell said James shared his announcement post right before her plane home from Tokyo took off. “So then, literally the plane is taking off and I see his post, and that’s it,” she stated. “I don’t have any service or anything for the next 12 hours, so I’m freaking out because, you know, just got broken up with and now, a few hours later, it’s for the whole world to see and I’m still trying to process it.”
In addition to her Tokyo photo dump, Kirkconnell also thanked fans for their support in a Wednesday Instagram Story statement. “Just wanted to say thank you for the love and support. Everything feels scary and discouraging right now but I believe everything happens how it is meant to and I know it will all be OK,” she wrote. “It’s a blessing to be able to feel things and let them hurt. Life is a messy and beautiful thing and I am thankful for all of the ups and downs it brings. Love you guys.”
