Bachelor spoilers unveiling new details about the end of The Bachelor's 2021 season with Matt James have emerged -- including new spoiler information on Matt's Final 2 bachelorettes, who he picked as his The Bachelor winner and ended up with, if Matt got engaged to his final pick, and new spoiler details about The Bachelor couple's current status.
ADVERTISEMENT
|
[Bachelor Spoilers Warning: This report contains spoilers revealing Matt James' Final 2 bachelorettes, who he picked as his winner and ended up with, if Matt got engaged, and The Bachelor couple's current status.]
The Bachelor is heading into its next episode on Monday, March 8 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.Matt is about to enter the Fantasy-Suite stage of The Bachelor's 25th season.
Matt's Final 3 bachelorettes are Bri Springs, a 24-year-old communications manager from Owatonna, MN; Michelle Young, a 27-year-old teacher from Edina, MN; and Rachael Kirkconnell, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Cumming, GA.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' SEASON 25 BACHELORETTES: MEET ALL OF MATT JAMES' LADIES! (PHOTOS)
Bri, Michelle and Rachael are probably hoping to take their relationship with Matt to the next level given each girl is head over heels for him.
Matt, however, has only told Rachael that he's "falling in love" with her, although he admitted to Michelle and Bri's families that he was "falling" for them as well.
This will be an opportunity for Matt to sort out his feelings and determine which woman is The One for him.
"If he were to propose to me tomorrow, I would be confident in saying, 'Yes, I know we can make this work.' At least I think so," Rachael said in a recent episode.
Rachael also admitted she'd be "completely crushed" if Matt dumped her.
And Michelle shared with Matt that she was "falling in love" with him after introducing the Bachelor to her loved ones.
Michelle told her mother that she felt ready to accept a marriage proposal from Matt although the process was "so scary" for her. Michelle felt her connection with Matt was "genuine and so real."
And Bri's feelings for Matt were also scaring her as well. She told her mother that a man had never seen or understood every part of her before like Matt seemed to.
FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS!
Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source!
So did Rachael go all the way and win Matt's heart or did he end up choosing Michelle or Bri? And which bachelorette got sent home after Fantasy Suites dates?
Keep reading for The Bachelor spoilers to find out Matt's winner and whether they're still dating!
Spoilers for The Bachelor Episode 9
In Episode 9, Matt and his Final 4 women -- Michelle Young, Rachael Kirkconnell and Bri Springs -- will each enjoy a romantic date that is perfectly-tailored for each couple.All three dates will lead the bachelorettes to determine whether they are ready to spend a night with Matt alone and off-camera.
Based on the preview that aired at the end of The Bachelor: The Women Tell All special, Michelle and Matt rappel down a building.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Michelle also apparently accepts her Fantasy Suite invitation because she's shown kissing Matt on a bed when they are all oiled up from a massage or something.
Michelle sweetly tells Matt, "I want to tell you that I am in love with you."
ADVERTISEMENT
But Rachael breaks down into tears over the idea of Matt spending the night with another woman or two and potentially being intimate with someone else.
And Bri also shares special moments with The Bachelor star as they grow closer.
In the preview Bri says, "I am so in love with you," before a clip aired of Bri and Matt kissing in bed.
Bri also shares with Matt that she "couldn't have asked for a better experience" with him.
Matt's Final 2 bachelorettes picks are Michelle Young and Rachael Kirkconnell
According to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone, Matt sent Bri home at the Final 3 Rose Ceremony that took occurred after his round of overnight dates, leaving Michelle Young and Rachael Kirkconnell as Matt's Final 2 bachelorettes."I was told 'Michelle and Rachael were final 2,'" Carbone wrote in his January 4 blog.
Carbone wasn't sure at the time that Bri Springs finished in third place, but he revealed in a subsequent January 21 blog post with certainty, "Bri gets eliminated after overnights."
Matt's father shows up after Bri Springs has left
During the preview that aired at the end of The Bachelor: The Women Tell All, viewers also saw Matt appearing to have a deep and emotional conversation with his estranged father, who pays The Bachelor star a surprise visit at the Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania that served as the filming location of the entire season."There's still a lot of fear based on what I've seen from my family in the past," Matt explains.
In the preview, Matt tells his dad, "When I needed you, you weren't there."
RELATED LINK: '90 DAY FIANCE' COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? WHO HAS SPLIT? WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (PHOTOS)
As The Bachelor viewers are well aware, Matt has mentioned on numerous occasions how he and his brother were raised by a single mother and his father wasn't around much for guidance or support.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I don't want you to make excuses," Matt argues.
"Nobody is perfect, son!" Matt's father insists.
Matt then tells the cameras he doesn't want to make the same mistakes that caused his family to fall apart.
Matt's mother is also shown warning him that people fall in and out of love all the time.
"I feel like everything I've been working towards is starting to crumble," Matt says. "I don't know how to go on. How do you go on from there?"
A scene then shows Matt sitting on the curb crying and Chris Harrison repeating, "I'm very sorry."
"Do you know if you can do this anymore?" Chris asks.
"To be honest with you, I don't know, Chris," Matt admits.
In a new March 4 blog post in which he revealed numerous new details about how the final days of Matt's The Bachelor season unfolded, Carbone revealed Matt's conversation with his father took place "at some point after the Final 3 Rose Ceremony."
"This talk really affects Matt," Carbone revealed in the blog post. "A lot have asked did Matt know or was he given a heads up his dad was being brought in? I don't know. My guess would be 'no' because they wanted a genuine reaction."
Carbone believes Matt's conversation with Chris took place immediately before or after Matt met with his dad.
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Carbone doesn't think Matt's conversation with his father ended badly or else the show would look bad for not asking for Matt's consent first.
Regardless of the outcome, Matt's chat with his dad was likely a tough one and probably very emotional.
"But when it's over, Matt probably feels better," Carbone speculated. "I can't imagine for the life of me that Matt calls it a disaster/walks off set/f-bombs production for bringing him on, etc."
"I don't know the outcome," Carbone previously wrote in his blog of the conversation. "If it was contentious, if Matt got closure, if it's a touching moment, etc. Not sure."
Matt James eliminates Michelle Young during their final date
According to Carbone both Michelle and Rachael got to meet Matt's mother, but neither Final 2 bachelorette's final date with The Bachelor star went according to plan.Michelle's date with Matt reportedly occurred first -- and while the daytime portion went as planned, Matt decided to end his relationship with Michelle during the evening portion of the date.
"[Matt] says he loves Michelle but is not in love with her," Carbone wrote in his March 4 blog. "She suspects it's because of Rachael and he confirms."
Carbone's new March 4 blog post elaborated on an earlier January post in which the blogger had reported he'd learned Matt did not follow The Bachelor's usual format and had dumped Michelle before the Final Rose Ceremony.
"Matt actually lets Michelle go before the final rose ceremony," he'd written in a January 26 post.
But Matt James cancels his final date with Rachael Kirkconnell as well!
However, even though Michelle had already been sent home, Matt's date with Rachael also reportedly didn't proceed as planned either!ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
"Chris shows up at Rachael's door the next morning and says her final date is canceled because Matt is confused and hurting or something to that effect."
"Basically at this point, the show wants to make you think Matt isn't gonna pick anybody since he sent Michelle home and canceled his final date with Rachael," he explained.
However Matt James picks Rachael Kirkconnell as his winner still
But after cancelling their Final 2 date, Matt reportedly still asked Rachael to meet with him the next day, according to Carbone's new March 4 spoilers posting."The following day, Rachael gets a letter under her door from Matt apologizing for canceling their final date the day before," Carbone reported. "The letter says to meet him by the lake where they had their overnight date."
While she was upset at Matt, Rachael reportedly still agreed to meet with Matt.
Rachael then reportedly traveled to at the lakeside site, which she discovered had been arranged to resemble the show's traditional final Rose Ceremony set.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' SEASON 25 BACHELORETTES: MEET ALL OF MATT JAMES' LADIES! (PHOTOS)
But after scolding Matt for cancelling their final date, Rachael told Matt she forgave him because she's in love with him.
"[Rachael] tells him how much he hurt her but she's not going to leave him because she's in love and you don't run from love when the going gets tough or something like that," Carbone wrote.
But Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell do not get engaged
Matt then reportedly reciprocated Rachael's feelings but said he "can't" propose marriage to her and they do not get engaged. Instead, Matt simply gave Rachael his final rose and they agreed to continue their relationship in the real world.ADVERTISEMENT
"She accepts the final rose and they leave as a couple. No engagement and no promise ring either. Just an agreement to continue dating essentially."
Carbone does not explain wht Matt feels he "can't" propose to Rachael.
Rachael Kirkconnell's victory as Matt's winner was originally reported in January
Carbone had originally reported he believed Rachael had likely received Matt's final rose of the season in a January 4 blog post."I was told, 'Michelle and Rachael were final 2, and Rachael wins,'" Carbone wrote at the time.
The spoiler blogger, however, wasn't totally confident in the knowledge he had about the winner.
"If you believe everything coming out of the small town of Cumming, GA, then it's Rachael Kirkconnell [who won]," Carbone explained.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
"Because for the last month, all I keep being told out of Cumming is that Rachael won, and all her friends and family know and they're telling everyone."
"Maybe Rachael did win. All I'm saying is that if she did, she, her family, and her friends are doing an awful job of keeping it secret."
Carbone therefore questioned if Rachael's alleged victory was just a situation in which someone started a false rumor and it then spread like wildfire.
"I'm not 100 percent sold on it yet, but, I'm just telling you that's the one I've heard most," Carbone wrote.
However, in a subsequent January 21 blog Carbone announced he had now gotten full confirmation that Rachael had in fact received Matt's final rose.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I know it's been out there, but I don't base my spoilers on what anyone else reports. Never have, and never will. Been hearing it was her for a while but never felt fully secure saying with certainty he chose her."
Matt James also appeared to spoil that he picked Rachael Kirkconnell
Matt also appears to have accidentally verified Carbone's spoiler that he picked Rachael as his final bachelorette.In January, Matt was caught listening to and "liking" one of Rachael's Spotify playlists, leading viewers to believe he must have picked her as his winner at the season's final Rose Ceremony.
Matt's actions were visible in his public Spotify history, which he seems to have not realized was publicly available.
Rachael's playlist, titled "Night Drive," had a whopping 77 songs on it.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Some of the artists or groups represented on Rachael's playlist included The Mary Onettes, The Chainsmokers, The Districts, Flume featuring Beck, The Weeknd, Daft Punk and Joji.
Matt was subsequently asked about his Spotify activity in an interview with Entertainment Tonight reporter Lauren Zima, who is the girlfriend of The Bachelor host Chris Harrison.
However, Matt tried to brush off the matter and suggested that -- in what would be a dramatic departure from the usual behavior of prior The Bachelor leads -- he has remained in contact with several of his bachelorettes since his season finished filming in November.
"There's a lot of music that I've taken from a bunch of women on the show. I've listened to [Kit Keenan]'s playlist, I've listened to [Michelle Young]'s playlist," Matt responded.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
Matt even pointed out the shirt he was wearing for his video interview was inspired by Kit's fashion given she's the daughter of fashion designer Cynthia Rowley.
"A lot of the things I'm doing going forward were taken from my time with these women," Matt concluded.
Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell's non-engagement was originally been reported in early February
While Carbone had stated Matt and Rachael were still together as a couple in his January 21 blog post, he had clarified he wasn't sure they got engaged at The Bachelor season's final Rose Ceremony or if the couple may have gotten engaged afterwards."I do not know if they're engaged or not," he wrote.
However on February 2, Carbone reported he had now confirmed Matt and Rachael did not get engaged at The Bachelor season's final Rose Ceremony.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
"Matt did not propose to Rachael. They are still together today though," he wrote in a blog post.
"Everyone will basically say this relationship has zero chance because it doesn't have that 'label' of engagement, even though that's never mattered in the past since so many don't make it any way," he added.
"But I can already tell you him not proposing will immediately have people giving the hot take that these two won't make it. I mean, I don't think they will either, but not because he didn't propose."
"I don't think they'll make it because I don't think for a second Matt is ready for a serious relationship, and never was."
Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell remained together for weeks after her racism scandal began
In mid-February, Rachael finally broke her silence and released a lengthy apology for prior offensive and racist behavior that came to light and surfaced online after The Bachelor premiered on ABC in January.ADVERTISEMENT
However the couple's relationship status had not changed a couple of weeks after the blog post, according to Carbone.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
"They are still together," he reiterated in another February 17 blog posting.
"Matt and Rachael are still together and will be come [After the Final Rose]. I don't see that changing. After that? Anybody's guess.," he added later in the blog post.
"Just think of how hard it is to make it as a couple in this franchise when everything is great and America loves you. Matt and Rachael don't have much support publicly, they're living through the biggest scandal this show has ever seen, and they can't address it publicly for another month. Gonna be real tough for these two to make it in the long run.
But Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell broke up recently!
"Breaking news last night... We all know Matt picks Rachael in the end, but after last night, well, they are no more," Carbone wrote in a February 23 blog post.After the Huffington Post reported Matt and Rachael's breakup on February 22, Carbone said he was able to confirm the news.
"Matt and Rachael broke up within the last week. I don't have an exact day, and I don't have any details as to why, but judging by Matt's [Instagram] post yesterday, I get the sense that the guy was put in a no-win situation," Carbone explained.
"So basically no matter what he did, he was going to take some heat. If he sticks this out and shows up with Rachael on the ATFR as a couple, it'll be 'how is [he] not affected by what she did?' Now they've broken it off, it'll be 'why couldn't he stand by her?'"
Carbone also reported The Bachelor: After the Final Rose will not air as a live event this March and will be instead be filmed at least a week in advance.
The special's scheduling marks a departure from The Bachelor's other recent seasons -- although given The Bachelorette's recent fall season didn't feature any After the Final Rose special, it's unclear how big a role Rachael's racism scandal may have played in the decision versus other factors like the ongoing pandemic.
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Carbone speculates anything could happen on After the Final Rose and he is unable to provide specific details at this time.
"Because the breakup is so new, when these two see each other again, does some reconciliation happen? Is there any way they make it through this?" Carbone questioned.
"Does Matt possibly have the balls to ask Bri or Michelle for a second chance? Does he leave solo?... Will there even be an audience? I'm not sure. But this sure is gonna be messy. I can't remember the last couple that couldn't even make it to their ATFR taping."
Carbone had also insisted in his February 23 blog that Matt gave Rachael a promise ring at the final Rose Ceremony -- a fact he reported was actually incorrect in his subsequent March 4 blog.
"A promise to stay together 3 months? Whatever the case, that's what we're getting at the end of this season," Carbone wrote on February 23.
"A lot obviously came about post filming, all stuff Matt had no clue about while he was falling for Rachael and ultimately choosing her. It's really going to be interesting seeing what Matt says is the reason for the breakup with Rachael."
The spoiler blogger guessed that Matt probably broke it off with Rachael due to all the negative press surrounding the bachelorette.
"There just doesn't seem to be any other reason why a week before taping the ATFR. They've been together this whole time," Carbone reasoned
"Accusations have been out there since the night of the premiere 2 months ago. Like, WTF? Why now?... There's a lot of questions out there that definitely need to be answered."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
ADVERTISEMENT
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski