JUST IN: Rachael Kirkconnell Accepts Matt James’ Final Rose on The Bachelor Following Racism Scandal
In a jaw dropping final twist, Rachael Kirkconnell — whose name has become synonymous with The Bachelor’s racism scandal — was the last woman standing in the franchise’s 25th season.
Kirkconnell was a clear frontrunner for this season’s star and first Black Bachelor Matt James from the start — the two even expressing their love for one another throughout the show.
While viewers watched things heat up between the couple on screen, their love life took an unexpected turn in mid-February after a viral TikTok accused Kirkconnell of sharing posts pushing QAnon conspiracy theories and liking others containing the Confederate flag.
Unearthed pictures later appeared on Reddit, which showed The Bachelor contestant at an “Old South” plantation-themed college party in 2018.
But because The Bachelor is not taped live, the controversy occurred after the season had wrapped, making this year’s finale even more shocking than usual.
Although James did not propose to either Kirkconnell or Michelle Young — who is already rumored to be a future Bachelorette — he did give Kirkconnell the final rose, and she accepted.
After Young and Kirkconnell met James’ brother and mother, James — overwhelmed by a discussion he had with his family — told Harrison he may not propose to either woman, but is willing to keep an open mind.
Soon after, James broke it off with Young after she gifted him matching His and Hers jerseys, explaining that although the easy thing would be to tell her what she wants to hear, he “can’t get there” with her.
Following his break up with Young, James canceled his final date with Kirkconnell, unsure if he is ready to propose and hesitant to make the same mistakes as his father — who cheated on his mother, leading to the couples’ divorce.
James slipped a letter under Kirkconnell’s door the next day, telling her to meet him by the lake where they had their overnight date.
Meeting at the lake, the two shared their love for one another, and although Kirkconnell expressed how hurt she was that James had canceled on her the prior night, she ultimately accepted his final rose, agreeing to continue seeing him despite the lack of wedding bells.
The couple is no longer together, according to a report by reality TV watchdog Steve Carbone — generally referred to by his social media handle Reality Steve. James had also already issued a statement addressing the racism controversy prior to the finale, calling the incident “devastating and heartbreaking.”
“The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging of my life, and while there are several episodes left of the season, it is important that I take the time to address the troubling information that has come to light since we wrapped filming, including the incredibly disappointing photos of Rachael Kirkconnell and the interview between Rachel Lindsay and Chris Harrison,” he wrote. “The reality is that I’m learning about these situations in real time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking to put it bluntly.”
Watch above, via ABC.
