Former Bachelor star Rachael Kirkconnell shared the reasons behind her split from Matt James after four years together, which occurred during their recent trip to Tokyo.
The reality star appeared on the January 28 episode of “Call Her Daddy” to discuss shocking details of what happened. She described how their breakup was unexpected when “He said that at the end of the day, there were just qualities about me that he worries about having in a wife.”
“There are things that we aren’t compatible with,” she said. Apparently, James believes she is not accountable for her missteps.
However, Kirkconnell stated that she was always the one to apologize during their arguments, even when she wasn’t in the wrong.
“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.’”
Kirkconnell, 28, also alleged that James, 33, told her she wasn’t his “perfect” match.
The Georgia College graduate revealed that she left Tokyo ahead of her now-ex-boyfriend and saw a notification about James’ breakup announcement just moments before her flight departed.
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She explained that she had no opportunity to discuss the post with anyone, as she was without service for the entire 12-hour journey.
“I just couldn’t believe it, going to the airport,” Kirkconnell told Alex Cooper. “I was like, ‘What the hell is happening?’ We’re literally getting ready to take off, and my phone blows up. I’m freaking out. Just got broken up with and now, few hours later, it’s like for the whole world to see.”
Rachael admitted she’s still in shock.
“When we would talk about things, he always seemed like he was on the same page, privately and publicly,” she shared. “We talked about rings. He told me a few months ago to start saving some things, picking things out. That’s probably one of the saddest things about it.”
She also said the breakup occurred after an emotional date night dinner.
“Everything was fine, the night before, we didn’t have an argument but I was feeling very overwhelmed,” she said. “I was trying so hard to find a good dinner spot … on top of that, I just started my period. I felt terrible. I was just having a rough few hours.”
Kirkconnell shared that, given James’ role as a food influencer, she wanted to find a great spot for him to review and she tried to elicit his help; but, he didn’t participate.
“So we get to this place, it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” she said. “It was just one of those things where I’m tired, cranky, emotional, on my period, feeling terrible, overwhelmed with looking for a dinner spot for an hour and we get there and it was just a disappointment.”
“I started tearing up at dinner,” she added. During the dinner, James didn’t talk until they left the restaurant. Later, when she tried to hug him he declined and talked about her being too emotional about everything.
The television personality stunned fans when he announced his split from Kirkconnell through an Instagram post in 2021. The post featured a heartfelt prayer alongside a photo of the former couple standing in front of the Bachelor Nation mansion.
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“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he captioned the picture. “Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding.”
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