Former Bachelor star Matt James recently returned to Instagram and it looks as if one of the first things he did was delete his post announcing his breakup from longtime girlfriend Rachael Kirkconnell.
The original post that Matt, 33, posted with a message about his and Rachael's decision to split is no longer visible on his public Instagram profile.
The food travel blogger and Rachael, 28, first met during his season of The Bachelor in 2021. While Matt's season didn't end in an engagement with Rachael, he and the graphic designer still decided to leave the show as a couple. However, soon after filming ended, photos of Rachael wearing a Native American costume and attending a plantation-themed fraternity party. The racism scandal put strain on their relationship and during the After the Final Rose episode for Matt's season, it was revealed that the two had broken up.
Rachael and Matt didn't stay separated for long and three months later they had reunited. It appeared as though everything was going well for the two, until Matt revealed that he and Rachael had decided to part ways just one day after he shared a video of them enjoying pizza in London.
"Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts. Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding," Matt captioned a since-deleted photo of himself and Rachael on the set of The Bachelor. "Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord."
Almost two weeks after Matt's announcement, Rachael sat down with Alex Cooper for an episode of "Call Her Daddy" on January 28. While speaking to Alex, 30, the Georgia native claimed that Matt had posted the breakup news on his Instagram page "two or three hours after" they had decided to end their relationship in the midst of a trip to Tokyo.
Rachael added that had spoken to Matt since he shared the post and explained that Matt admitted he shouldn't have done that so suddenly.
"I don't know if it was out of just him being so worked up, if it was out of anger, or if it was one of those things where he felt like he needed to do it to really finally just put a nail in the coffin, but I have spoken with him since all of that, and I do know that he definitely acknowledges that that was not the right decision," Rachael told Alex. "I don't want people thinking that, like, he's this bad guy or that he's like not, I don't know, considerate of my feelings or whatever, 'cause he is a good guy at the end of the day."
Rachael also said that while she and Matt had gotten into small arguments during their trip, it eventually turned into a "bigger can of worms."
"He said that at the end of the day there were just qualities about me that he worries about having in a wife. Like at the end of the day, like, there are things that we aren't compatible with..." Rachael concluded.