Rachael Kirkconnell Denies Reconciliation Rumors with Matt James

NEW YORK CITY — Rachael Kirkconnell, former contestant on “The Bachelor,” has denied rumors of a reconciliation with ex-boyfriend Matt James after fans speculated the pair were spotted together in New York City over the weekend. Kirkconnell responded to gossip account DeuxMoi on Jan. 26, writing, “hmm wasn’t me lol,” effectively shutting down the speculation.

The alleged sighting came just days after James, 33, announced their breakup on Jan. 16 in a heartfelt Instagram post. “Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he captioned a photo of their first meeting on the ABC reality show. “Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding.”

Kirkconnell, 28, has remained largely silent since the breakup, though she has subtly reacted to the news. She “liked” a fan comment on Instagram suggesting she was “completely blindsided” by the split. Her sister, Trinity Kirkconnell, also weighed in, clarifying the timeline of events. “They were still together when he was posting all that,” Trinity wrote on Jan. 16, referring to James’ social media activity just hours before the breakup announcement.

The couple’s split surprised fans, as they had appeared to be going strong. In November, James told a TikTok account he was looking forward to starting a family with Kirkconnell. “Oh stop! You’re gonna make me cry,” she responded in the video. James also praised her as his “biggest cheerleader,” adding, “There’s nothing that she wouldn’t do for me.”

Kirkconnell and James first met on Season 25 of “The Bachelor” in 2021. While James chose Kirkconnell as his winner, they opted to continue dating rather than get engaged. Their relationship faced challenges, including backlash over Kirkconnell’s past actions, but they reconciled by summer 2021. Kirkconnell’s most recent Instagram post, a birthday tribute to James from Dec. 5, 2024, referred to him as her “best friend” and “teammate.”

Fans expressed confusion over the breakup, particularly because James had been posting about their relationship just hours before the announcement. Trinity Kirkconnell later claimed the couple had only been broken up for “3 hours” before James made the split public.

As of now, Kirkconnell has not publicly addressed the breakup beyond her recent denial of the New York City sighting. The former couple’s relationship continues to be a topic of speculation among “Bachelor Nation” fans.