When opening up about his split from Rachael, the season 25 star of 'The Bachelor' says that seeing her for the first time following her racial controversy 'hit [him] like a ton of bricks.'
- Mar 17, 2021
AceShowbiz - Matt James might still have some love for Rachael Kirkconnel despite their split. When opening up about their breakup in the wake of his now-ex's racism scandal, the season 25 star of "The Bachelor" called her a "good person."
The 29-year-old shared his two cents when speaking in the Tuesday, March 16 episode of "Good Morning America". He said, "I know that Rachael is a good person and everything that she outlined in her apology and her statement. I'm looking forward to seeing her do because I know she's capable of it."
Matt also got candid about how he felt seeing Rachael at the "After the Final Rose" after her controversy. "It hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt the weight of everything that I was carrying throughout the season and with what we were dealing with as a country. And having to explain that, why I think it's problematic to me and our relationship, which was extremely difficult," he explained.
"That's the frustrating part about the position that I'm in," the football player further emphasized. "Having to explain, not only to Rachael, but to the rest of America, why things like that are problematic. We don't have the chance to have that ignorance. Think about Breonna Taylor, think about Tamir Rice. They didn't have the opportunity to have that ignorance."
In the "After the Final Rose" which aired on Monday, March 15, Matt revealed that he dumped Rachael because she "didn't fully understand my blackness and what it means to be a Black man in America and what it would mean for our kids." He also noted that seeing her photos at the 2018 antebellum-themed party "broke [his] heart."
Also sharing her thoughts on the split was Matt's ex, Rachael. Making use of Instagram, she penned, "i knew from the first night i met matt that he was something special, and i was praying to share something exceptional between the two of us if that's what was meant to be."
"while i never expected this outcome, i respect his decision completely. of course i wish circumstances were different, but i still feel blessed for the time we did have together and the memories we made," she added. "i got to fall in love, and i truly believe he was the love of my life. he will always hold a piece of my heart. i’ll always be hopeful and believe what’s meant to be will be."
