Did Matt James blindside Rachel Kirkconnell during her breakup?

Well we have another inevitable Bachelor the breakup is in our hands, and this one has it all: vague prayers to “the Lord,” a sketchy timeline, and drama in the comments section. Bring on the mess. Thursday, the former Bachelor Matt James announced in a shocking Instagram post that he and his girlfriend Rachael Kirkconnell are splitting up. You may remember James from the 25th season of the reality series: today’s 33-year-old was the first black Bachelor in franchise history, and Kirkconnell, the recipient of its final rose, was later forced to apologize for his “racist” past. A total success. Regardless, the couple briefly broke up after that little controversy in 2021, but got back together a month later and had been together ever since, until James’ disturbing breakup message surfaced this week.

“Father God, give Rachael and me the strength to mend our broken hearts,” James wrote. “Give us peace regarding this decision to end our relationship that transcends the understanding of the world.”

“Give our friends and family kindness and love to comfort us,” he added. “And remind us that our joy comes from you, Lord 💔. »

James tagged Kirkconnell in the post and disabled comments, which quickly prompted fans to search the couple’s digital footprint for answers about what really happened. The first observation? James had posted a video of him and Kirkconnell looking pretty functional as they filmed themselves eating pizza in London earlier in the day. On TikTok, Redditors noted that James also responded to a comment about food at their upcoming “wedding,” writing, “sushi, cookie station, pizza truck, etc.” !

If the timing of all this seems a little fishy, ​​Kirkconnell seems to agree. The 28-year-old has yet to comment on James’ breakup news, but she last posted on Instagram on Dec. 5, wishing James a happy birthday and calling him her “pumpkin” and his “sub-chief”. There were no signs of trouble in paradise and, as one follower noted, “The more I think about it, the more I think he completely blindsided her with this.” » Kirkconnell liked this comment, which makes me think there’s more to this story than just a breakup that “transcends the understanding of the world.” Here’s hoping Kirkconnell releases a tasty podcast episode a la Brianna Chickenfry. People don’t want any more reviews about “roasted marshmallow matcha lattes” – they want the truth!